Speed: Haven City Style
by Lizzy Rebel
Summary: Parody of 'Speed', AU. When a thought to be dead bomber Praxis reappears and sets explosions on an innocent bus, a young police officer Jak is its only hope. Includes JxK. R&R! [final chapter up!]
1. Mad Bomber

Speed: Haven City Style 

A Parody by Lizzy Rebel

**Author's Notes:** Okay, here's the story behind my idea (and the reason why I've taken a detour from my series). See, about a year ago I got the DVD to the movie _Speed_ (the one staring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock) since it was my favourite movie and we couldn't find it ANYWHERE. Well, what really made my day was that it was the FIVE STAR COLLECTION DVD which meant I had all these nifty little extras. After forcing my sibling to which it with me over and over again my brother's like: 'hey, this would make a great Jak parody' (I think he wanted to stop watching it) so the idea formed in my head and here it is! So I plan on getting back to writing my other Jak fic but after I post this one because it was so much FUN to write! Enjoy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Jak II or _Speed_ in anyway. They belong to Naughty Dog (curse those genius bastards for coming up with the Jak idea before me!) and the writer of _Speed_ Graham Yost and Mark Gordon (they are so hilarious on their commentary on the DVD!). This is in no way related to _Speed2_ and it shall never be related to _Speed2_ because it's a load of crap! ***glares at _Speed2_ and all its non-Keanu Reeves-ness*** Grrrrrrrrr…

            **Cast of Characters**

                        Jack Traven… Jak (humor)

                        Annie… Keira

                        Harry Temple… Daxter

                        McMahon… Samos

                        Ortiz (bus passenger)… Sig

                        Ray (bus passenger)… Erol

                        Terry (bus passenger)… Torn

                        Howard Payne… Baron Praxis

                        Robin… Ashlin

                        Screw-driver head (don't ask)… Vin

                        Kid… Little Jak

                        Teacher… Kor

                        Other kids… Randomly kidnapped (er, selected) Haven City residents

                        Bar owner… Krew

**Feedback: **If you don't mind…

**Rating: **PG-13 for HEAVY language and violence. Mostly Jak and Praxis. Bad boys!

**Side Notes:** Before we began you must need to note that there is an EXCESSIVE amount of swear words (a lot are the F word). Also note that Kor and the Kid only make small cameos because I can't fit them in anywhere else. Okay, so Kor is not the evil guy though he should be. I think Praxis makes a better Howard Payne (he's played by America favourite psycho, Dennis Hopper!). And one more note is that Daxter is human in this one. Can imagine him taking apart a C4 in ottsel form?

Chapter One- Mad Bomber 

                        Vin found himself cursing his luck. It was his day off, he should be out partying, but instead he was here doing overtime. He cursed that no-good security guard that had skipped his duty and left him to fill in.

            _I only have a few hours left,_ Vin told himself as he walked down to the service elevators to do the normal check-ups on the control panels and the like. If something went wrong… well, it was his head even though it shouldn't be his problem.

            As he passed the service elevator area he noticed that something was clicking there, making a noise. Something human. He blinked several times and tried to go over in his head if someone should be down here.

            No. Shaking his head, Vin stepped into the control room of the elevators. It was a pale blue, white tiled floor with walls and walls clustered with wires. As he stepped deeper and deeper into the room, he noticed a body position behind one of the many walls. From what he could tell it was a man.

            "Excuse me, sir, but you need clearance to be back here. I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Vin called, using his walki-talkie to motion to the door behind him.

            The man stood up from his work, saying in a rough voice, "Uh… yeah, I got a call. Some of the wiring is screwed up."

            Vin nodded at the plausible explanation, but protocol was protocol, "I'm going to need to see some working papers." He said, stepping closer so he could see the man. He wore electric company overalls.

            "Uh, yeah, okay." The man said and Vin noticed that half his face was covered by metal, "it's right here." He bent down towards his soft toolbox and reached into it. He withdrew a white slip of paper with his free hand positioned behind it so Vin couldn't see what was going on behind the white sheet.

            Vin leaned forward to read it, his eyes were getting bad, and he didn't notice the other man remove his hand from behind the sheet. Vin looked up just in time to see the metal man slam a screw-driver into the left side of his face. Right into his ear.

            Pain shot through him as Vin blindly reached out and placed a hand on his ear as warm blood poured down his neck. His vision blurred and he slumped to the floor, his pale hand still clasped futilely against the side of his face. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and his breathing stopped…

            The man with the metal on his face looked down at Vin calmly and then shrugged before saying, "Nothing personal." He grabbed the bloody body of the dead man and dragged him into the corner, hiding his body there.

            Working in complete silence the metal man grabbed an ear-piece and placed it in his ear. He then connected it to a square black machine that looked like a tape-recorder. He checked his watch and walked out, never looking back at Vin's limp body.

            Yup, he hadn't been very lucky had he?

~~**~~

                        The hassle of morning meetings were finally drawing to a close and after a successful business meeting a group of people decided to get lunch at their city's, Haven City, finest restaurant. The HepHog. Okay, so it wasn't the finest but it was the cheapest.

            A young executive walked onto an elevator, groaning at the thought of all the paper work on his desk. The group of food-finders joined him, laughing and chatting. They filed into the small, hot elevator and silence lapsed around them.

            In the front of the elevator a young man part of the food-finders group pushed the LOBBY button even though it was already lit in the bright yellow tinge. He pushed it again and again for good measure.

            In the back, another tall young man sneered meanly, "Thanks for pushing that, Bob. You never know—the light's on, but maybe it's really broken."

            As snickers filled the small enclosed room, Bob wished the other young man was blow away from existence, "Shut up." He snapped unhappily.

            A pretty blonde leaned over the shoulder of her boss, her lips curving into a secretive smile. She whispered into his ear softly and the older man's mouth twisted with a haughty smile. She giggled and pulled away, touching the seam of her lower lip with her tongue.

            The elevator descended quickly as the room filled with quiet chatter. 

            Suddenly, the elevator rocked and everyone was thrown forward. Screams rose in the air as the elevator jerked and dived downward fast, but it gave another jerk and stopped.

            The lights snapped off and the small elevator compartment was eloped in darkness. Small moans of terror were heard but other then that there was no noise. Everyone was afraid a loud enough sound would case another jerk of the cable holding their current deathtrap.

            A red emergency light flickered on and everyone in the elevator compartment looked at one another wearily. Where they going to die? Finally, the young man in the back of the compartment looked at the young man in front.

            "Jesus, Bob," He said in pure terror, "what button did you press?"

~~**~~

                        As the deep red sun began to rise in the air over Haven City, a hovercar came screeching down the road. The residents of Haven City screamed and quickly moved out of the way as the hovercar drove wildly down the street. A red and blue light flashed on the hood of the car.

            It came to an abrupt halt in front of one of Haven City's most prestige business buildings. The engine died as the car doors opened with a bang.

            A young blonde man, around twenty-eight, hopped out of the car and ran strong hand through his short blonde hair (A/N: see author's notes at bottom). He had a wad of bubblegum in his mouth. He chewed it loudly, a sign that he was ready for action, as he popped the trunk of his hovercar under his dashboard. He wore his regulated white shirt and slightly baggy black pants. His army boots clicked against the gritty ground of the city. As he glanced at the building looming behind him, his dark blue eyes narrowed slightly.

            He moved over to the trunk of his car as his partner stepped out of the car. He was a redhead and a skinny pale man but there was no denying his wisdom. He wore the same outfit as his partner though the other man filled it out better. He too glanced at the building but he was frowning, unlike his neutral faced partner.

            They moved to the trunk together and withdrew from it two black vests. It was laden with pockets stuffed with whatever they may need in their line of work. It was always necessary for them to be prepared.  They pulled on their black vests, known as flak jackets, and then hurried towards the entrance of the door, not speaking a word.

            They were Jak Traven and Daxter Temple, two of the best members on the Krimzon Guard SWAT (A/N: ***snickers***). Daxter the thinker and Jak the doer. It obvious by the way they walked that they were a team.

            As they entered the building another hovercar showed up and another SWAT team joined Daxter and Jak on their walk. As the swinging door behind them closed, the fire trucks showed up. As did two more SWAT cars.

            Jak grinned over at Daxter as they were joined by another team on the force. Daxter shook his head at his friend's enthusiasm and they walked into the lobby were the remaining SWAT teams were already assembled.

            In the center of the lobby was a large, glowing chart. It was obviously the schematics of the building. Blue thumbtacks had been placed in specific places of importance. Silently, the SWAT teams waited.

            Then Captain Samos McMahon walked over to them, his technical assistant Norwood at his side. McMahon, better known as 'Samos', didn't look pleased with the situation at all. He said something to Norwood, who relayed the information to his cellular. Then he called back an answer to Samos.

            As Samos approached them, he began to relay information in a rapid tone, "What we have are fifteen people on the express elevator just below floor thirty. Included among them is Louis Termian, vice chairman of Nu-Teck and owner of this building. Bomb took out three cables. Bomber wants three million dollars, or he blows the elevator."

            Daxter grinned slightly and asked in a calm voice, "What's our clock?" He supposed he should be concerned about the welfare of the hostages but really that Louis Termian guy was an alleged adulterous, not to mention fat. Daxter had a thing against the fat people.

            He glanced over at Jak and saw that the wheels in the young man's head were already turning. That was one thing about Jak you could always count on. Jak was always ready for whatever the bomber was going to throw at him, which was surprising since he was so young. Daxter often wondered why Jak chose to join the 'suicide squad' but he didn't really voice the question. If he did, Jak might leave and he'd be all alone to get his ass blown to kingdom come.

            Norwood answered with a little unease, "He gave us an hour, which leaves us with," he glanced at the watch strapped to wrist, "twenty-three minutes exactly."

            "Is there anything that could stop the elevator from falling?" Asked another SWAT member as he studied the schematics of the building.

            Jak's mouth twisted into a humorless smile, "Yeah, the basement." He earned several glares for his sarcasm but he didn't really care. After all, he had been trained to ignore other people. He had perfected the art.

            Jak glanced over at Daxter and saw that even his partner looked ready to hit him upside the head. Jak wanted to chuckle but kept his face neutral. Giving an inappropriate laugh at this time wouldn't help him. Besides, he had fifteen hostages to rescue. If there was thing Jak was serious about, it was his job.

            Samos shook his head at Jak's words. Sometimes that boy was too cynical for anyone's good, "The city is looking to avoid that. They're collecting the money as we speak."

            "We can't just unload passengers." Daxter said. Though it was in question form, it obvious by the tone of his voice that he knew the answer. He just said it for form's sake.

            Samos shook his head, "Bomber's wired the doors and hatch exit. He'll know if there's any movement in that compartment. Yes, Jak that seats him in the crazy but not stupid section. Any questions?"

            Grinning like a schoolboy, Jak raised his hand and at Samos's impatient nod he said, "Sir, Daxter volunteers to examine the device."

            "I do?" Daxter asked in confusion and then the meaning hit him. His eyes narrowed at Jak as he said, "Right."

            Samos normally would've berated them with their display but didn't have the time, "Check it out, but no stupid stunts." He snapped.

            Norwood nodded to the duo, "The nearest access panel is on the thirty-second floor. That's about a floor and half above the express elevator's current position. Sure hope you aren't afraid of heights."

            As Daxter and Jak nodded their heads in agreement to his orders, Samos called after them, "I want reports ONLY. We're holding to a pattern." Then he turned to the other SWAT teams, "Biggs, Worthy. Secure the base area. No one in or out the back. The rest of you confirm building evacuation. MOVE!"

            Daxter, groaning at the thought of climbing the flights of stairs up to the thirty second floor said to Norwood, "What about the other elevators?"

            Norwood shook his head in sympathy, "In emergencies like this, all elevators are sent to the nearest floor and shut down."

            Jak laughed and slapped Daxter on the back, "Looks like we're walking." He told Daxter, who groaned again.

            They made their way up flight after flight of stairs. Jak's face was calm and collected while Daxter—being the less active of the team—panted with exhaustion.      Finally they reached the thirty second floor and the duo moved over to the two elevator doors located in the hallway to their left. They found a side panel on the surface of the doors. Jak nodded to Daxter who removed a screwdriver from one of his many pockets on his flak jacket. They worked quickly and effectively to remove the metal side-panel and stepped into the elevator shaft.

            Jak was the first to slide down the thick wire that held the elevator aloft. His face was cool as he lowered himself to the first set of metal slabs just above the elevator; he frowned at the white putty stuck to the side of the cable-controls as Daxter slid down next to him. His eyes, too, were drawn to the white putty.

            Daxter nodded to Jak and bent down to check the putty with a solemn demeanor as Jak called down to the elevator passengers, "Ladies and gentlemen we're with the Krimzon Guard." He heard a 'thank God' call back from the elevator, "There's been an elevator malfunction. Just relax and we'll have the problem fixed as soon as possible."

            "Hurry!" A muffled voice called back to the elevator, but Jak didn't answer it. Instead he turned to Daxter who was concentrating fully on his work.

            "I am lying?" Jak asked calmly, watching as Daxter flicked the flashlight he had removed from his flak jacket over the wires of the white-putty bomb.

            Daxter didn't answer Jak. He raised a small microphone strapped to the collar of his neckline to his lips and said into it, "Confirm on the secondary device. C4, molded to the brakes." Then he looked over at Jak, "What do you think?"  
            Jak shrugged casually but his eyes were serious. He couldn't place it but something inside him told him this was all wrong, "I just work here."

            Daxter shook his head, his eyes scanning the bomb once more. He too felt the feeling, "It's pretty solid."

            As Daxter said this Jak ran through his mind all the bombers who they hadn't caught yet and couldn't place this work with any of them. Maybe Dax would recognize it, "Anyone we know?"

            Daxter had already tried to place the work ever since he had first seen it, "I don't recognize the work, but whoever he is he's a pro."

            "Crazy not stupid." Jak muttered with distaste.

            Through the microphones on both of their necks, Samos McMahon's voice filtered through, "Traven, Temple. Hold position. We're waiting to here back from him. Stay idle."

            Jak looked at his watch and would have winced if not for the years of hardcore training he endured while trying out for the force, "Shit."  
            Daxter too looked at his watch and nodded, "Yeah, they're cutting it close aren't they?"

            The blonde man frowned as the sour taste worked its way into his mouth, "I don't like it." He said with an angry shake of his head.

            Daxter shrugged his agreement, "What's to like? But Samos said we stay put so we stay put. Nothing crazy today, Jak."

            "Yeah right." Jak muttered low enough so that Daxter didn't hear, but he couldn't help but get fidgety. He moved around on the slim platform, glancing at his watch every now and again and then looked back at the bomb.

            Daxter saw this and because he knew that at any moment Jak would come up with a crazy plan he tried distracting him, "Okay. Pop quiz, hot shot. Uh… terrorist in a crowded room, five pounds of dynamite. He's got a deadman's stick; he let's go, it explodes."

            Jak allowed himself the distraction, "How close am I?" He wondered, already going through the possibilities of what to do in the situation Daxter painted.

            "Twenty feet."

            "Use a tasor gun. Put enough volts in him and he won't be able to even think about letting it go for a good hour." Jak muttered in monotone.

            Daxter frowned at Jak's ingenious, "Uh… fifty feet."

            Shaking his head, he chuckled saying, "Nice try."

            "Alright, you got that one. Next one. Airport. Gunman's with one hostage using her for coverage. He's almost on a plane. You're a hundred feet away. What do ya do, hot shot?" Daxter said, leaning against the thick pole that ran up the length of the shaft.

            Jak didn't answer for a moment. His eyes were locked on the elevator's bomb. Then he returned to Daxter's train of thoughts and answered without hesitation, "Shot the hostage."

            "What!?"

            "Take her out of the equation. Go for the good wound and he can't take her on the plane with him. Clear shot." Jak answered, circling around Daxter so he could have an angled view of the bomb.

            Daxter looked at his partner in disbelief, "You are deeply nuts, Jak. Shot the hostage… what an idea! Aren't we trained to keep them alive?"

            But Jak wasn't listening to Daxter anymore. He was now concentrating fully on the elevator, "This is wrong. He's gonna blow it anyway."

            "How to you know?" Daxter asked in a suspicious tone.

            "Dunno. Gut feeling."

            "I'm not paid to listen to your gut feelings. I'm paid to listen to my superior's orders. Our superior's orders were to stay put. Are you even listening, Jak?"  
            Obviously not. Jak looked down at the elevator and then up at the ceiling of the shaft, "How much to you think this elevator weighs?"

            Daxter rolled his eyes, sensing another brilliant, daring Jak Traven plan coming on, "Christ, Jak…"

            Jak turned and headed out of the elevator shaft and Daxter had no chose bit to follow. As they reentered the pretty, marble tiled hallway Jak told his partner, "Maybe we can do something about those hostages."

            "We're not gonna shoot 'em, are we?" Daxter asked humorlessly.

~~**~~

                        "No, we're just gonna take them out of the equation." Jak told his partner as ran up flights of stairs, towards the brown door at the top of the last set.

            Jak and Daxter burst onto the roof of the building over looking Haven City. Jak peered over the edge of the roof and saw the winch that would've normally been used by window-washers. It was large and heavy duty.

            The sun was now high in the sky and it bounced glares off the glass windows. Jak squinted against it as he looked over the fair Haven City. From this high up it looked almost livable. Not the polluted, dangerous city it really was. 

            Jak and Daxter reached for a large hook and cable from the winch. They lowered it into the elevator housing on the roof. Daxter and Jak's face shone with perspiration as they lowered it down.

            "You sure this'll work?" Daxter asked as he and his partner moved back to the elevator shaft.

            In an overly confident voice, Jak told his friend, "It'll hold." To himself he muttered, "It'll hold."

            Daxter looked at his watch as Jak began to climb into the shaft, "We've only got six minutes." He called softly so as not to scare the passengers lest they hear him.

~~**~~

                        Meanwhile, Samos McMahon looked pissed. He held Norwood's phone to his ear as the brass of city hall yelled into it. He removed it from the side of his face to rub his left temple and then replaced it.

            "We can't GET anymore time! Don't you think I've tried? He's not talking to us. We need the goddamn money! We need it NOW!"

~~**~~

                        At the same time, in a small service elevator, the men with metal on his face paused in his work. He had a small ear-piece radio clicked into his ear and it buzzed with the voices of the SWAT police. He raised his hand and pressed the radio deeper into his ear. He could've sworn he heard something coming from the shaft.

            A voice filled his ear-piece, "Pop quiz, hot shot. A psycho rigs an elevator to drop thirty stories…"

~~**~~

                        Jak, for a brief second remembered he didn't particularly like height before shaking it off. He clutched in his right hand the cable and hook from the winch as he was lowered headfirst to the elevator over a floor below him. He spoke to Daxter softly through his microphone.

            "…what do you?" Daxter finished his question as his face clenched with the extortion it took to keep Jak from falling headfirst onto the elevator.

            "Something else right?" Jak answered. He reached the elevator and singled Daxter to stop lowering him. As he stilled, he looked wearily at the C4 before clicking the hook onto the frame of the elevator.

            "Tell me again, Dax," Jak said unhappily as his partner began to rise him, "why'd I take this job?"

            Daxter gasped under Jak's weight as he brought his friend and partner back to the narrow platform, "Come on," he answered through gritted teeth, "thirty more years of this and you get a tiny pension and a cheap gold watch."

            Mock-excited, Jak answered, "Cool." When he was finally brought up to Daxter they turned and hurried from the shaft. They rushed to the roof, both aware of how much time was ticking back.

~~**~~

                        The men with metal frowned as he listened to the sounds of Jak and Daxter retreating. What were they up to?

~~**~~

                        Jak and Daxter reached the top of the roof and hurried over to the winch. With one last glance at the housing shed of the elevator Daxter flipped the switch on the side of the winch.

            Nodding to Daxter, Jak moved back to the shaft and entered it. He climbed back down to the elevator car. Around him the cable began to uncoil and tighten. He reached out for the access panel to remove the hostages…

~~**~~

                        …The man with metal on his face frowned as the winch squeaked faintly in his ear-piece. To calm himself, he reached down and fingered a small, plastic box with a red button and a timer on it. The timer said three minutes and counting.

            His face grew in concern as more noise from the shaft filled his ear phones. Suddenly, growling, he pressed the button.

~~**~~

            Jak stopped his reach for the access panel as he saw a red light switch on C4. He cursed and threw himself into the opening he and Daxter made when they had first tried to enter the shaft. Behind him, there was an explosion.

~~**~~

                        The elevator car jerked with the explosion and the passengers screamed in horror as they were pressed against the floor thanks to gravity. They looked at one another in horror as they felt the elevator car begin to drop.

~~**~~

                        The cable on the roof snapped tight as it tried to hold the heavy weight of the elevator. Daxter cried out in horror as the cable almost snapped him in two. He dropped to the floor to dodge the deadly rope.

            Inside the shaft, the elevator plummeted before coming to an abrupt halt due to the taunt cables holding it. The screams of the passengers inside the car filled the air.

~~**~~

                        Norwood frowned at the elevator door on the first floor as the springing of wire filled the room. He looked over at Samos and said, "Usually they fall down now."  
            "Not if Jak got to it first." Samos answered.

~~**~~

                        Daxter raced down the stairs towards the thirty-second floor where Jak sat, panting. He propped himself up against a wall on the side of the metal slab they had removed to enter the shaft.

            "He's early!" Daxter cried in anger.

            "Nothing gets by you, Daxter." Jak muttered sarcastically and then stood, "Let's get them the hell outta there!"

~~**~~

                        On the roof, the winch started to break under the weight of the elevator. Slowly, it's ripped from its foundation and was sent flying across the air. It got jammed against the wall of the elevator housing and stayed still… but only for a time.

~~**~~

            Jak and Daxter looked at one another in horror. Then they bolted down the stairs towards floor twenty eight where the elevator had stopped.

            "SAMOS!" Jak screamed into his microphone, "We need people on twenty eight now!"

~~**~~

                        The winch gave a little more and the elevator dropped another few inches. The passengers screamed in terror, bracing themselves against the walls.

~~**~~

                        Jak and Daxter struggled with removing the access panel, but finally they opened the door to the elevator shaft. They saw the doors of the elevator car only a few feet away them. They looked over at one another and nodded. Together, they managed to pry open the door just as more SWAT members arrived to help with the unloading of the passengers. Daxter and Jak peered into the elevator and looked into the horror-stricken faces of all the hostages.

            "Everyone, we're here to help you. Give us your hands so we can unload you!" Jak called and every pressed forward to obey.

            Jak and Daxter reached a young woman first and they yanked her from the room. Pushing her into the arms of another SWAT member, they turned to the CEO of the building and pulled him free as well.

            "What the hell is this!?" The CEO cried in terror.

~~**~~

            On the roof the winch gave another violent jerk, looking ready to break. Suddenly it fell through the housing shed, but stopped when it was jammed against an engine.

~~**~~

            Jak cursed as his arms were almost sliced as the elevator dropped a few more inches. He felt panic wet the back of his neck when he saw that only about three feet of the elevator could be seen. He reached out with pure anger and yanked another passenger out of the car, her screams filling the room.

            Jak finally grabbed the last passenger and as she trembled in his arms, he pulled her out. Just as her feet reached the access panel, the elevator fell down. The high-heel of the woman was nipped and fell down the shaft as well, but she was otherwise unharmed.

~~**~~

            On the first floor, Samos and Norwood cursed as the elevator crashed. Smoke rose from the cracks of the doors in front of them. Samos and Norwood looked at one another and their faces broke into a smile. Jak Traven did it again.

~~**~~

            As the SWAT members ushered the hostages out of the building, Jak and Daxter grinned at one another. Exhausted, they leaned against the wall of the room.

            "Is your watch slow?" Jak asked as he panted. He raised a hand and pushed it against his chest, trying to slow the rapid beating of his heart.

            "Naw." Daxter asked, trying to ease the fear still circulating in the room, "He jumped the gun. Three goddamn minutes early."

            "Why did he do that?" Jak asked in disbelief, "He's throwing three million dollars down the tube."

            "Maybe he couldn't hold his wad long enough." Daxter suggested, not really caring, "It's a common problem with middle-aged men. Or so I'm told."

            Jak stood up suddenly, his eyes growing wide with anger, "He's here." He bit off.

            "He could've blown that thing from Pacoima." Daxter pointed out, not joining his partner.

            "No," Jak said, waving off that explanation with a flick of his wrist, "he knew something was up. He's close by."

            "Look, I see your point, but he wouldn't corner himself in this building. Besides, it was all evacuated."

            Jak didn't say anything, he just frowned. Daxter sighed as he realized that his partner was convinced. He decided to humor his friend.

            "Okay, he'd want to be here to make sure everything went as planned, but he'd want to stay mobile." Daxter's face lit up as it clicked in his hands, "The elevators."

            "The passengers were all stopped, right?" Jak said, thinking as well, "But what about the freight elevators? Were those closed?"

            Daxter was already running towards the freight elevator doors and Jak was close behind. Together they pried open the doors and looked down into the shafts. Five floors below them they saw an elevator and they heard the distinctive sound of movements coming from within.

            "Will the mystery guest please sign in?" Jak asked in triumphant as he reached for the cable leading down to the elevators.

            "Wait Jak, we don't know if—" Daxter protested, but Jak had already disappeared down the cable. Cursing under his breath, Daxter followed.

            As Jak touched down lightly on the top of the car, he pulled his 9mm Glock from its holster. Daxter dropped down silently next to him, also pulling out his Glock. Jak motioned to the hatch next to him and Daxter nodded to show his understanding.

            Jak bent down and reached for the hatch handle. Daxter began to silently count down to when Jak should open the door with his fingers. Three, two—

            Suddenly, a Scatter gun blasted a hole in the metal of the roof causing Jak and Daxter to jump backward. Another shot was fired and it glazed Daxter's foot. Daxter screamed as he fell head first into the elevator compartment.

            Jak heard a groan and winced as he listening to Daxter being knocked unconscious with the butt of a Scatter gun. He bared his teeth slightly and thought about how much he'd enjoy shooting this bastard.

            Suddenly the elevator gave another jerk and started to move. Jak cursed as he sprawled against the car. Another shot ripped the metal next to him and Jak was moments from returning fire when he remembered that he didn't have a clue to where Daxter was. He didn't want to hit his friend by accident. So he sat prone on the side of the elevator when he sensed something.

            He looked up and saw that he was getting closer and closer to the top of the building. Unless he did something, he'd be crushed against the top of the shaft. He bit his lip as a foul curse rose in his throat.

            Seeing no other choice, Jak jumped into the compartment and was blinded by the smoke from the shotgun thick in the air. Finally, it cleared and Jak found himself looking into the barrel of a Scatter Gun.

            Inside the smoke, a voice called with a chuckle, "I don't suppose anyone will give me three million for just you." There was another chuckle and Jak winced as he heard the trigger pulled, but inside of unbearable pain there was only a dull, loud click. Then another click,

            The shotgun was empty.

            Jak reached out and grabbed the shotgun, throwing across the floor. He stood in a blinding motion and aimed his Glock.

            "HANDS ON THE FLOOR!" He shouted, but had a feeling the bombers wasn't going to do as he said.

            The smoke cleared and Jak finally saw the assailant. He looked to be a middle-aged man with a burly build. The only unique quality about him was that half his face was covered in a stainless steel.

            The man's hand was locked around Daxter's head. Daxter looked around groggily, just starting to wake up from his fall and run-in with the end of a gun. The man raised his hand to show Jak his deadman's stick and the dynamite strapped to his chest.

            "Pop quiz, hot shot," he said angrily, "a terrorist is holding a police hostage. He's got enough dynamite strapped to his chest to blow the building in half. What do you do?"

~~**~~

                        Meanwhile, in the lobby, Samos was going frantic, "Norwood, I want a location on those damn shots! Where the hell is Jak and Daxter!?"

            Norwood looked up from a small computer in the back of the control room in the lobby, "Sir, we got movement on the freight elevator."

            Samos gave him a puzzled look.

~~**~~

                        Jak glared at the man with the dynamite and said in a low, loathing voice, "There's gonna be fifty cops waiting for us in the basement."

            "Slandered flanking deployment." The man said calmly, "Well, maybe we won't get off on the basement. Maybe we'll get off on the third floor."  
            The man opened the elevator control panel. The wires there fed into a small box the man had hooked up. He reached out and pressed a button.

~~**~~

                        In the lobby a light popped on a screen in the room in the lobby's back, indicating that the freight elevator had stopped at the third floor.

            Samos looked away from it, shouting, "Third floor! Let's move!"

~~**~~

                        _Ding…!_

            The man grinned as the freight elevator reached P1, the basement. Jak felt his teeth grind against one another as he kept his gun trained on his foe.

            "Well," the metal man said casually, "this day has been an overall disappointment, Jak. And I don't mind saying that."

            "Why?" Jak asked angrily, "You didn't get to kill anyone?"

            Hatred, cold and hard, flashed in the man's eyes as he said in a low voice, "There will come a time, boy, when you'll wish you had never met me."

            "Mister, I'm already there." Jak answered.

            The man dragged Daxter out of the elevator with him as he made his way towards the garage. Jak followed them, but cautiously. He didn't want to get Daxter killed.

            "See, I'm in charge here. You take one wrong move and they wipe your friend up with a sponge." He waved the deadman's stick in front of Daxter, "Are you ready to die friend?"

            "Fuck you." Daxter growled. (A/N: ***gasp*** Bad Daxter!).

            In an almost weary voice, the man said, "So in two hundred we've gone from 'I regret I only have one life to give to my city' to 'fuck you'?"

            "Go ahead!" Daxter said angrily, "Drop the stick!"  
            "SHUT UP, DAXTER!" Jak thundered to Daxter.

            The man laughed and motioned to the three of them, "Man, we've got all the balls in the world here in this room!"

            "Give up!" Jak cried.

            The man didn't obey, what a surprise. He continued to drag Daxter towards the garage. Sweat collected at the collar of Jak's shirt as he realized he didn't know what to do. Jak made eye contact with Daxter and he barely mouthed the words:

            _Shoot the hostage._

Jak looked at Daxter in disbelief as the man dragged him away. The man smiled meanly, as if he knew he had won. Jak continued to keep his gun trained on the man, but he knew he wasn't going to be able to shot.

            "Do it!" Daxter shouted.

            Jak cursed and shifted his aim. Without hesitation, he fired his gun and Daxter screamed in pain as the bullet embedded itself in his leg. He dropped to the floor, unable to move. The man laughed in disbelief and ran away. Jak raised his gun and fired. His bullets glazed the man's neck, but he disappeared through the doors before Jak could make a good hit.

            Jak ran after him and just as he reached the door an explosion rocked the room. Jak was thrown backwards against the wall, his limbs spanned out. He groaned as he slid to the floor. Moaning, he looked over at Daxter.

            "You shot me!" Was the last thing Jak remembered hearing before he slid into unconsciousness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

                        Chapter One complete. ***waves banners*** Wasn't that fun? For those of you who haven't ever seen _Speed_ this isn't a parody for you so you're gonna get a lot more surprise and for those of you who have don't give away any of the special details! It's gonna be a surprise!

**Preview for Chapter Two: **After a night of celebration Jak walks into a real live nightmare when he learns of a bomb on a bus. A bus that has to have a passenger on it named Keira Hagai!

**Special notes:** If at anytime this parody should reach 100 reviews then I'll give ya'all a very special sneak peek at Jak IV: The Abomination, which is currently in the process of being written. So get reviewing!


	2. 2525

**Title:** Speed: Haven City Style

**Chapter:** 2/?

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Jak II in anyway… nor do I own the movie Speed.

**Keywords:** Jak, Keira, bus, highway chase

**Couples:** hinting Daxter/Tess

**Chapter Rating:** PG-13 for language and some naked Jak drools

**Chapter Genre:** Action/Humor/slight Romance

**Teaser: **see chapter one

**Feedback:** the more the merrier!

**Timeline:** think late 90's Haven City

**Author's Notes:** Ack! I know, I know, VERY late update. Sorry 'bout that. I've been having hell for the last few weeks. School and my personally life decided to give me a big pile of shit to deal with so I haven't been able to think of updating any of my stories until today. To show my extreme sorrow for the late update the chapter is EXTRA long and there is a special sneak preview to Jak IV: The Abomination at the bottom!

**Side notes:** it's not easy trying to convert a bus into a zoomer, okay? So let's just pretend when I say 'car' (by accident) I mean zoomer? Got it?

FINALLY!

_Last time on Speed: __Haven__City__ Style…_

            Jak ran after him and just as he reached the door an explosion rocked the room. Jak was thrown backwards against the wall, his limbs spanned out. He groaned as he slid to the floor. Moaning, he looked over at Daxter.

            "You shot me!" Was the last thing Jak remembered hearing before he slid into unconsciousness.

_This time on Speed: __Haven__City__ Style…_

Chapter Two- 2525 

                        An auditorium was filled with many people, most with happy faces. The SWAT members and the hostages of the elevator sat in front of the stage, clapping happily at the two men standing on the stage.

            It was City Hall Medal Ceremony Day.

            The Mayor of Haven City finished up his speech with a proud look on his ruddy face, "… the dedication and bravery that make Haven City's finest truly her finest. Fifteen citizens owe their lives to the team and particularly two officers that we are here to honor today… Thanks to them the only life taken by the terrorist bomber was his own."

            Off to the side of the stage stood Jak and Daxter, flanked out in full Krimzon Guard uniforms (A/N: in my fic, their uniforms are like regular police uniforms). Their eyes were trained on the front, but Daxter fumed quietly.

            "You shot me…" Daxter said in a soft, angry voice, "I can't believe it… they're giving you a medal for shooting me, you little prick…"

            Jak smiled softly, amused by Daxter's tantrum, he had been like this ever since they had awoken in the hospital together a few weeks ago, "Dax, you told me to."

            "You didn't have to do it so well." Daxter pointed out.

            "Officer Daxter Temple." The Mayor said and Daxter stepped forward stiffly. He faced the crowd for a moment before turning on his heel and walking over to the Mayor. His cane clicked against the carpeted stage. He tried not to limb, but he leg wound made it very hard not to. The Mayor smiled and placed a medal on Daxter's shirt.

            Then Jak's own name was called and he stepped forward to accept it.

                        Meanwhile, in a small garage, there was a TV watching the event. Around it was four other TVs, all on the same channel. They looked cheap and old. They were all situated on a desk that had magnifying glasses and wires and white putty. The TVs zoomed in on Jak's face as he moved to accept his medal.

            And sitting in a chair in front of the desk was none other then Howard Praxis, the terrorist bomber. He clapped loudly as the medal was pinned to Jak's shirt. Outside his window in his garage, twilight began to settle around the suburban area.

                        Later that night, at the local bar the HepHog, all the cops on the SWAT team clustered around Samos McMahon as he held up his cherry glass in a sign of toast. Jak and Daxter sat on a stool right besides him, grinning like fools.

            "Okay. Okay, here's to Daxter! For his quick thinking, grace under pressure, and brave and selfless act." Samos said, raising his glass and Daxter took a dip swing of his own beer bottle to show everyone he agreed with Samos.

            Many 'here-heres' filled the room.

            "And to Jak… for shooting Daxter," Jak's face lit up in surprise before he and everyone else laughed, "which God knows we've all wanted to do for a VERY long time."

            Samos raised his hands to quiet the laughs that still rippled through the air, "No, seriously. Here what it is: To the guys, for doing your job and not getting dead. Mazeltov." Everyone repeated the word and drank. Samos sat down and everyone turned to Jak.

            "Speech! Jak, a toast! Come on!" The SWAT members cried.

            Jak shook his head. He really didn't want to give a speech. Talking like some big leader really wasn't his idea of fun. He'd rather just let Samos give the speeches, hang out with his friends, and maybe find a woman to warm his bed. But seeing that the SWAT team was going to bother him until he did, Jak stood.

            "Um, okay. I'd like to thank all the little people—" He broke off as many boos filled the air. He laughed lightly and went on, "—I'm fuzzy on the names, but I know you're all very tiny. Daxter, you're a god… Uh, I dunno… here's to a small pension and a cheap gold watch." Everyone drank to that.

            As the night dragged on, there were many more laughs and jokes, but people began to leave. The few that were left—Jak and Daxter included—were mostly slouched. The heavy smell of liquor and cigarettes filled the room.

            Samos and Jak sat at the bar, talking in low voices so as not to disturb them. The bar owner, Krew, hovered around them in all his fatness, but they ignored him. Krew was always making sure no one was keeping him from his money.

            The barmaid, Sandy, stepped towards them with an easy smile, "Here you go. Thirty fifth round is on the house. Just don't tell Krew." She took the hose and filled their small cups with the strong liquor.

            Jak didn't take notice of Sandy at first, but said to Samos, "Nobody wanted me to be a cop. My dad said if I wanted to prove myself as a man I should sell tires like him." He glanced over at Sandy and pointed to his drink, "His is bigger then mine."

            Jak frowned into his drink, thinking about his father. All of his family thought he was just trying to prove that he was a man by joining the Krimzon SWAT. No one seemed to get that he had really wanted to be part of this team.

            Further off, Daxter and a female cop, Ashlin, lounged on the seats in the back of the room. Daxter was completely drunk, it showed in his glazy eyes, and he pawed lightly at Ashlin.

            "Come here." Daxter said in a slurred voice, "Come on. Come on and sit on my lap. Sit on my lap and do a dance." Ashlin shook her head and swatted at his hands good naturedly.

            "Piss of, Daxter." Ashlin said in a friendly tone, "You're married."

            Daxter blinked in confusion, "I am?"

            Samos was offering Jak some comfort, "That's what this job is. It's those moments when everything compresses and it's just you and him. That moment. Other jobs are just typing. And that's what real people don't understand about cops."

            "That we're psychotic?" Jak joked easily. Samos could always make him feel better about the fact he made his family worry.

            "Yes." Samos agreed, "Well put. That was your problem with what's-her-name. Wait, what _was_ her name? You remember?"

            "Debbie."

            "Debbie?" Samos frowned and thought back to a few months ago, "No, Donna!"

            "Oh right." Jak said with disinterest.

            Daxter pulled a picture out of his wallet. It was the picture of a beautiful, smiling woman with flowing blonde hair and baby blue eyes. He smiled softly and touched her two-dimensional face.

            "This is my wife?" He asked in disbelief. In his drunken state he couldn't remember her name. What was it? Tiss? Trish? Tess? Yes, Tess, "She's gorgeous! I'm gonna go home. I'm gonna get some."

            Daxter stood and waved off Ashlin's hands as she moved to help him. He grabbed his cane and staggered over to Jak. He collapsed on Jak's shoulder and grinned over at him.

            "Jaaaaaaaaak!" Daxter cried.

            Jak grinned, "Daaaaaaaaaaxter!" He pointed to Daxter's face as Samos laughed, "Druuuuuuuuuunk!"

            As Samos left for the bathroom, Daxter said, "You know, we're the two luckiest guys in the world. Got the bad guys and didn't lose any civilians."

            "We're good." Jak agreed.

            Daxter shook his head, "No, we were lucky. Understand it, Jak. We were dealing with a total psycho; he could've blown us up at any time. I got a bullet in me—a few marks lower and they're giving the medal to my wife."

            "Daxter, man, we won. We got him." Jak said, feeling awkward at Daxter's comment. Normally, he was the one who was serious and Daxter was the one who made the jokes.

            "Do you even listen?" Daxter asked angrily, mostly from the liquor in his system, "I'm not gonna be backing up for a long while so you gotta start thinking. Guts'll get you so far then they'll get you killed. Luck runs out, Jak. Sooner or later."

            As Daxter's words sank in, he pushed himself away from the door. Slowly, he began to stagger towards the door. Jak jumped up from his seat and grabbed Daxter's arm, helping him stay upright.

            As Jak and Daxter walk away, Daxter said proudly to his friend, "I'm gonna go home and have some sex."  
            "Dax, you're gonna go home and throw up." Jak said with a deep laugh and Daxter shrugged without any emotion.

            "Yeah, well, that'll be fun, too." He told his friend.

                        That morning, Jak groaned and rolled over in his large bed in his airy loft. It had a neat, slightly industrial look to it. The only objects in his bedroom was a picture of a water zoomer—one he hoped to own—as well as complete entertainment center and sports equipment neatly lining the wall.

            His eyes opened slowly and he found himself lying on top of his sheets, sweating from the heat of a Haven City summer. He had barely managed to drag on his boxers and tee shirt before falling asleep on his bed. He knew that if he looked in a mirror, he'd look worse for wear so he didn't.

            By his bed, his large plasma screen TV was still on from when he turned in on last night. Jak sat up and looked over at the show playing, some kind of soap opera.

            A man was saying, "Katie… love me, Katie. Bryant will never respect you like I do," before Jak turned him off.

            He winced from the hangover that pounded in his head. He reached over to his nightstand and popped the pills into his mouth to fight the hangover. He chewed them like candy and lay back down in bed.

            His house seemed so empty. His mom didn't visit him anymore, ever since he told her he wasn't quitting the Krimzon SWAT. Daxter said he needed a woman—and of course was always happy to point out he was married to the very hot Tess—and sometimes Jak agreed. It always felt nice to wake up next to a warm, soft feminine body, but what one would be willing to deal with his job? Debbie… er, Donna… hadn't been able to.

            He threw himself from bed and pulled off his sweaty pjs from his rock-hard body and reached for his running clothes propped against his dresser. He pulled on his running socks followed by his shoes and moved from his loft.

            He ran and ran and ran, trying to forget how lonely he was. His feet slapped against the sun baked street of Haven City and the wind rustled his bed-torn hair. He closed his eyes and let his feet take control. He didn't want to think about anything now. Everything would lead to a woman. Even if he thought about Daxter, who was probably waking up besides Tess right now.

            He ran faster.

                        Jak's jeep zoomer pulled up in front of the café. He slammed his door, looking better then he had earlier that morning, and stepped into the air-conditioned building. The man behind the counter and the man buying his coffee smiled at him as he entered. He smiled back and stepped forward.

            "Hey, Jak," The man, who's name tag read 'Bob', said, "You like a side order of harsh." He wore thick, brown gloves and a bus driver's uniform.

            Jak shook his head and ordered his coffee, "Thanks, Bob."

            Vince, the current runner of the counter, poured Jak his coffee while saying, "The boy was up partying all night." He handed Jak's his coffee casually.

            Jak and Bob waved to Vince and exited the building. Jak head over to his jeep-zoomer and Bob headed over to his bus-zoomer.

            "Wild party, huh?" Bob said.

            "I don't remember that well. It's all really fuzzy." Jak admitted with an easy smile, "But it couldn't have been that great; I woke up alone."

            "Yeah, well last time I partied like that I woke up married." Bob said and earned a laugh from Jak, "See ya, Jak."

            "Bye, Bob." Jak said as they went their separate ways. Jak placed his coffee on the roof of his zoomer-jeep as Bob's bus drove away. He dug in his pants pocket for his keys.

            Suddenly he gasped as a loud explosion rocked the area. He wheeled around to watch as Bob's bus went up in flames.

            Jak broke into a break-neck speed for the bus. He came up quick along its side and looked at its incarnated insides. He couldn't see Bob anywhere. He tried to get closer to the bus, but the intensity of the flames kept him from moving in.

            People began to circle around him, some screaming for the police. Then something knew filled his conscious.

            The ringing of a phone…

            He turned and saw that further off a payphone was ringing… ringing. In an almost dreamlike trance he stepped towards the phone and picked it up off the receiver.

            "What do you think, Jak?" Said the voice of the man from the elevator incident, "If you find enough of the driver's teeth, think they'll give you another medal?"

            In pure shock, Jak almost dropped the phone. He managed to catch it and whispered in horror, "Jesus…"

            Howard Praxis grinned at Jak from his spot in his zoomer just a few feet away, "Twenty three second delay on the dead man's stick. I'm in the air duct when it blows. Did you think I wouldn't have been prepared?" His voice rose slightly in raw anger, "I spent two years setting up my elevator job. Two years. I invested myself in it. You couldn't understand the commitment I have. A child, Jak, you're a child. You ruin a man's life's work, and then you think you can walk away? You got blinders on to the world. But I got your attention. Didn't I, Jak?"

            Jak was breathing hard, as if he had just ran ten miles, and said in low voice, "Why didn't you come after me?"

            There was a chuckle on the other line, "Now you're getting a swelled head. This is about my money, my due money, which I will get. Three point seven million dollars. That what my original sum, plus interest compound and quarterly and expenses. None of this had to happen, Jak. I hope you realize that. That bus driver could've gone home to his wife and children tonight. How long to you think it'll be before they start worrying about him? He's so late coming home…"

            Jak bared his teeth in a fierce snarl and banged his hand against the hood of the payphone until it bled, "When I find you, man, I'm going to kill you all over."

            Praxis wanted to chuckle to that, but instead said, "Pop quiz, hot shot. There's a bomb on a bus. Once that bus hits fifty miles an hour the bomb is armed. If the bus drops below fifty it blows up. What do you do?"

            Jak didn't answer as a look of confusion crossed his face. He tried to take it all in but his head rejected the idea.

            "What do you do?" Said the other line.

            Finally, Jak nodded. It was sign that he accepted the challenge. He swung his hand in the air to shake off the pain he had given it.

            "I'd want to know what bus it was." Jak muttered, looking around at the burning bus that had once held a good man.

            "You think I'm going to tell you that?" The voice on the other line asked with a small chuckle.

            "Yes." Was the unhesitant answer.

            Praxis smiled and leaned back in his seat, "Very good." His smile vanished as he became serious, "Now here are the rules, Jak; we have to do this right. If you take any passengers off, I will detonate it. If I don't get my money by eleven a.m., I will detonate it. There is a time limit."

            Jak growled and glanced down at his watch. 8:05. Not even three goddamn hours.

            "We can't put all that money together in—"

            Praxis caught him off, "Focus, Jak! Your concern is the bus. Don't try to call, you'll find their radio is down. It's Number 2525, running downtown from Venice. It's at the corner of Lincoln and Pico. Should be heading onto the freeway right about…"

            But Jak was no longer listening to Praxis. He was already running, letting the phone swing on its rope.

            "…now." Praxis's voice finished.

            The engine of Jak's jeep-zoomer roared to life as he zipped away, his coffee splattering against the gravel of the road.

                        "STOP!" A young feminine voice cut through the air as she ran after the bus marked 2525.

            She a young pretty twentysomething woman. She had short green/blue hair and emerald eyes. She wore a flower print dress with a black belt around it. Underneath it was a pale pink tanktop. Wrapped around her waist with the belt was her Haven University sweatshirt. In her hand she carried a cup of coffee.

            She used all her strength to pull upside the bus and yell at the bus driver, who laughed in pleasure. She begged, demanded, smiled, prayed to try to get him to stop. Finally the bus halted after a few minutes of playing tag with the young woman.

            Keira Hagai gasped for breath as she pulled herself up the steps of the bus. She panted and smiled over at the bus driver named Sam.

            "This look like a stop to you?" Sam demanded with a good natured smile on his dark face.

            Keira grinned and placed her change in the box while saying, "You are a saint. You are a good, kind man and one day people will sing songs about you."

            "Hey, hey!" Sam called as Keira moved to take her seat, "I don want no gum on my seat like last time, Keira!"

            Keira grinned, showing Sam her teeth which had a wad of white gun between them. She then returned to moving to her seat as Sam chuckled.

            As she moved down the aisle, she grinned over at burly, dark-skinned man, "Hey, Sig." She said. Sig waved back with a wide smile.

            "Hey, Keira." He answered and shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable in all his Wastelander gear. Keira gave a thankful prayer that she hadn't chosen to join the Wastelanders… or the Krimzon Guard for that matter.

            She plopped into her seat in front of a man with all sorts of books in his hands as well as a camera. It obvious to everyone on the bus that he was a tourist.

            "First time in Haven City." He said, thinking that Keira was perhaps the single most beautiful women he had ever seen.

            "No, I live here." Keira muttered, rolling her eyes at her misfortune of setting down next to this tourist.

            "No, I mean mine. Well, that's just funny—you heard me wrong. I'm sightseeing. I hate to use the word 'tourist' but it's not like I can hide it!" He raised his hands filled with maps and cameras, "I'm Doug Stephens."

            Keira tried to smile, but only managed a grimace, "Ah… Keira." She tried to subtly show him she wasn't interested by being silent, but Stephens didn't get it.

            "You know it took me three hours just to get here from the airport. I got so lost. Haven City is one large place! But you live here, you probably don't notice. Me, I'm a yokel! There I said it!" Stephens said with a grin.

            Meanwhile, Keira had removed her gum from her mouth and placed it on her seat. She gave a small scream and said, "Oh! There's gum on my seat! Oh, eww!" She raised her thumb, which was covered in her gum. She thrust it in his face and said as if teaching him the word, "Gum!"

            She turned and moved to the seat across from her. She smiled at the middle-aged woman, Helen, who sat there and she smiled back. Keira took her seat and slowly drank from her silicon cup.

            She then looked back over at Helen and said, "Morning."

            Helen smiled softly and said in an equally soft tone, "You're lucky, you know. Sam wouldn't stop for anyone. He really likes you."

            Keira shrugged calmly and said, "Yeah, well if he'd be late once in a while then I wouldn't have to catch up with him, would I? Hear that Sam!?"  
            "I hear ya!" Sam answered.

            Helen chuckled and shook her head, "Not our Sam."

                        Frustration seemed to be the order of the day for Jak as he weaved in and out of traffic. He honked his horn, cursed, yelled, and did anything to get closer and closer to the bus cars ahead of him.

            "MOVE!" Jak shouted, "Goddamnit! Move, you pieces of shit!"

            Jak cursed another foul word as he barely managed to avoid an old Lincoln zoomer. He jerked left and climbed up a ramp, almost sideswiping a new model Black XJ-12 Jaguar zoomer. He could hear the driver screaming at him, but he didn't even bother to see what kind of damage he had done.

            He was getting to that bus.

                        The bus was now running forty-five miles per hour.

            On the bus, a few passengers were talking and some were reading. It was a day like every other day. Keira glanced at her watch and then addressed Helen.

            "Oh, I just couldn't handle driving on the freeway anymore." Helen said, caressing the necklace around her neck, "I would just get so tense. This way I could relax all the way to work."

            Keira sighed and thought about her beautiful, yellow jeep Zoomer. What she wouldn't give to have it. She hated this bus, despite the fact that she enjoyed the people on it. She loved the feeling of being free, even if you were in a complete standstill with the traffic on the freeway.

            "Well, I love my zoomer. I miss my zoomer." Keira said, looking out the window. A few of the younger drivers waved to her and she wanted to glare at them, but she didn't bother. She had learned to ignore the attractions of most men. She had sworn to herself not to get to deeply involved until she was safely on her own two feet.

            But she couldn't ignore the sense of loneliness that also plagued her. She didn't think it was just because she needed a boyfriend, but because she was an orphan. She had been raised in an orphanage since she was two and had learned the hard way of life. She was barely managing to get put herself through collage.

            She wanted so much more out of her life, but she was stuck until she had her degree. No one took a pretty, young girl like herself seriously unless she had something to show her worth.

            "Your zoomer's in the shop?" Helen asked.

            Keira grinned sheepishly and answered, "Nnnhyyeah."

            Helen looked out the window as well and asked in a calm voice, "You work downtown?"

            "Uh-huh." Keira turned and said Helen's expectant glace added, "Oh, I'm a zoomer mechanic. You know, an engineer?"

            "Where do you work?" Helen asked. She knew this young woman had to be smart to work anywhere as a zoomer mechanic. It was a tough, demanding job.

            "The Race Stadium." Keira answered and Helen blinked. They both knew that the Race Stadium was for zoomer racers. No mechanic worked there, they worked at a garage. She winced at Helen's sympathetic look, "I just race until I can get my degree. After that, I'm through racing! Well… as a job anyway. Racing kinda a habit, ya know?"

            Sam chucked at Keira's words and looked down at his speedometer. They were almost at fifty miles per hour. But he noticed the traffic jam ahead and removed his foot from the pedal so the bus slowed down. The passengers onboard groaned with distaste.

            Keira glared at the cars and called to Sam, "Sam! Can't you just go over these cars?" She asked.

                        Jak grinned as the bus slowed down. Everything was okay for now. There nothing to worry about.

            A few miles ahead of him, there seemed to be an accident and all lanes but one were closed. Every zoomer was filtering into the one lane and so was bus 2525. It was about fifty feet away from him.

            Jak parked his zoomer and pushed open the door. He had to get there fast since the bus was almost past the choke point. After that it would pick up speed. He rushed over to the bus and came up almost its side just as it was about to pass the accident.

            He bangs his fist on the glass doors of the bus and shouted, "Open up!" He panted with the extortion it took to keep up with the bus, "Open up!"

            A woman named Mrs. Kamino looked at Jak, "He really wants to get on this bus." She sounded worried and a little panicked because Jak looked so fierce.

            Keira looked at him and felt something warm tickle her stomach. Well, there was a fine looking man. She didn't often give men much attention but this one was in your-face sexy. Then Mrs. Kamino's words reached her.

            "Can you blame him?" She asked dryly.

            "Get off the doors, man!" Sam called, "Wait for the next one!"

            "I'm Krimzon Guard! Open up!" Jak could tell from the bus driver's confused look that he couldn't hear him so he dug for his badge. He dragged it from his pocket, but it was bumped by a car in the right lane and flew from his hand.

            Helen looked at Jak as he gave a vicious curse and said in a small voice, "Maybe you should let him on, Sam."

            Keira looked at the young man outside her window. She felt a sense of dread well in her stomach. What was on this bus that he wanted to bad?

            As Jak stopped to retrieve his badge, Sam speeded up and pulled away from him. In the back of the bus a young man, Erol, looked out the window with a weary look on his face. His fingers fidgeted nervously.

            "DAMNIT!" Jak cried as he raced after the bus once more, but the bus didn't slow down and he knew that at the speed it was going he didn't stand a chance of catching it. Still, he ran after. He ran so fast he managed to grab its bumper but it slipped from his grasp within seconds. Panting, Jak doubled over and drew in ragged breaths.

            He glanced back at his zoomer and saw that it was half-a-mile back and in deep traffic. It wasn't going to help. Instead, he jumped into the oncoming traffic and held his hands up and out.

            "STOP!" He shouted.

            A sleek, black XJ-12 Jaguar convertible zoomer screeched to a halt and the driver looked at him in shock, "What the fuck!?"

            As the Jaguar zoomer owner cursed at Jak, he came up on the driver's side and flashed the owner his badge. He gave the man a pissed off look.

            "Krimzon Guard. Get out of the car." Jak commanded in a deep voice.

            "Oh Jesus, not again." The owner said, sounding just as pissed as Jak, "Look, this is my car! I own this car! It is not stolen!"

            Jak, having not patience for this, dragged his gun from its holster hooked on the back of his jeans and pointed it at the head of zoomer's owner, "It is now." He yanked open the door and snapped, "Move over."  
            The man moved without a second's hesitation, not wanting to get a bullet in his face. Jak holstered his gun and hopped inside the car.

            "You scratch this puppy and we're gonna have words." The owner warned as Jak speed off. He kept his eyes on the bus, knowing that by now it had to be going at least forty five miles.

            He kept chasing the bus, he wove in and out of traffic. He honked his horn at other zoomers and flashed the Jaguar's lights. The owner of the zoomer clutched the dashboard until his knuckles turned white.

            He caught up the bus as fast as the zoomer would allow and pulled up on its side again. Jak honked the horn to get the driver's attention. And it worked.

            Sam looked out the door and did a double-take. It was the same guy that had tried to get on earlier! He couldn't make out the words, but the young man was yelling something to him.

            Sig was leaning against and looking at Jak with a frown, "Man sure has a hard-on for this bus." He muttered.

            Erol, meanwhile, stood from his seat and moved all the way to the back where he slumped against the seat. He frowned deeply and his leg bounced with nerves.

            Jak tried to raise his voice of the roar of the engine, "I'm a cop!"

            Sam's eyes narrowed with suspicion but he opened his window, "What!?" He called and Jak reached for his badge.

            "Krimzon Guard. There's a bomb on your bus!" Jak shouted as he worked to keep the Jaguar zoomer and the bus zoomer even.

            Seeing the Sam still couldn't hear, the zoomer owner leaned over the side of his side since he was closer and shouted, "There's a—what!?" He looked at Jak in horror, "Fuck!"

            "I can't hear you!" Sam shouted and Jak repeated his words. Sam shook his head again, telling Jak he still didn't hear him.

            Jak bit his lip in anger and then saw sheet music in the backseat of the car, "Get that, will ya? I need something to write on."

            The owner hesitated a moment before reaching for the sheet music. From the side of his door, he withdrew a black maker.

            "I want you to write," Jak commanded, "in big black letters. Write 'bomb on bus'. Got it, man? I'm counting on you."

            "Are you serious!?" The owner demanded but at Jak's glare he bent down and started to write. Jak accelerated sharply and pulled in front of the bus.

            Keira walked to the front of the bus and she and Sam watched Jak in confusion. What was he doing? They didn't even notice that the speedometer had reached forty nine miles per hour. The bus gave a sudden jerk and Keira fell to the floor.

            The owner of the zoomer turned and knelt up in his seat. He held up the note but the wind ripped it from his hand. The paper landed on the windshield of the bus and Sam's eyes widened as he read…

            BOMB ON BUS.

            The sign flew away before anyone else saw it. A cold sweat began to trial down his face. The speedometer reached fifty with a click, but no one noticed.

                        Underneath the bus a mass of white putty slabs were wired to a black box. On the black box, a red light flickered on so the machine knew that the bomb was activated. More bombs activated under the doors of the bus.

                        Sam gasped once and he removed his foot from the pedal.

            55m/h, 54, 53…

            Jak watched as his own speedometer began to deplete and knew that the bus was slowing down. He honked his horn in warning, "NO!" Sam gave him a confused look from the window of the bus and it continued to slow down. Jak gave him a motion to speed up, "SPEED UP!"

            Jak sighed with relief when the bus stopped it deceleration.

            "FIFTY!" Jak shouted as loud as he could, "STAY ABOVE FIFTY!" He nodded to Sam as the bus picked up speed. He looked over at the owner of the zoomer as he dragged out a cell phone, "470-8000, ask for Detective Daxter Temple."

            The owner nodded and pressed the numbers as rapidly as he could. He all but screamed in the phone, "Detective Daxter Temple! It's urgent!" He listened a moment before passing the phone to Jak.

            "Daxter…" Jak said into the phone.

                        Daxter leaned sleepily against his desk. He wished he had stayed in bed like Tess had asked. She had worried about his headache, the good wife she was. But he had to do this.

            Ashlin was chatting to another officer in the room next to him and even their small voices made his head pound.

            Then Ashlin walked in and leaned over his desk, holding a phone out towards him, "Jak's on the line. He wants to talk to you." She smiled at him as Daxter took the phone from her with angry growl.  
            "You better not be calling in sick," Daxter snapped, "'cause I dragged my ass outta bed so you can—"

            "He's alive." Jak caught him off guard with a grim tone in his voice.

            "WHAT!?" Daxter asked, snapping wide awake.

            "The bomber, Daxter. He's back." Jak said and Daxter looked up as Samos and Norwood burst in the room, a look of horror on their faces.

            "He's already hit one in Venice." Norwood said to Samos as they made their way to Daxter's desk, "The fire chief says there's nothing left."

            Samos nodded and turned to Daxter to snap, "Temple, we've got a ransom from your dead terrorist. Says he's rigged a city bus. Where's Jak?"

            "Where do you think!?" Daxter snapped.

                        Jak was driving like a manic. He forced the Jaguar to fishtail on the corner, ignoring the car horns that blared at him. He came up on the right side of the bus, where the door was. He looked in front of him and saw that the traffic thickened.

            "Shit." He cursed and looked back at the bus and then the traffic, "Shit. I gotta get on that bus. Fast! Goddamnit."

            Sam blinked at he heard the honk of a zoomer. He turned and saw Jak motioning to open his door. He did as told and listened intently.

            "Drive straight!" Jak yelled.

            "What!?" Sam demanded but he got the main idea.

            Jak looked around, trying to figure out how to do this. He looked at the door on his right. Differently a problem. He swung open the door.

            "What are you doing!?" The owner of the Jaguar zoomer demanded.

            "Are you insured?" Jak asked calmly.

            "Why?" The owner asked in a panicky voice.

            But Jak already slammed on the breaks and sent the zoomer halting. The bus came up its side and the door was taken off its hinges and thrown into the air.

            "SHIT!" The owner screamed.

            Keira watched in amazement as the Jaguar zoomer, minus the door, caught back up with the bus. Was this man insane? What was so wrong?  
            "Drive straight!" Jak shouted and turned to the owner of the ruined zoomer, "I'm gonna need to borrow this." He said reaching for the cell phone.

            "Go on take it!" The owner said with a look of disgust on his face. What use did he have for the phone now that his car was missing a door?

            "Take the wheel!" Jak called as he leaned out the side of the car. The bus doors slid open and Jak prepared himself to lunge for the steps of the bus.

            Sam watched as Jak steadied himself, wind whipping his loose white tee around him. He didn't notice another car in front of him slow down to forty until it was too late. He swerved to avoid it.

            Jak yelled as he leaped in the air. For a moment, it looked like he was going to miss but then his right hand reached out and grabbed the bottom of the handrail in front of the bus. He cried out in pain as his shoulder was wrenched. His feet dragged against the pavement as he struggled to raise himself onto the steps.

            The owner of the Jaguar zoomer struggled to steady his zoomer, but not fast enough. He plowed into the big yellow water-filled collusion barrels on the side of the road. Unharmed, he picked himself out of his seat and craned his neck to see if Jak made it into the bus okay.

            Jak managed to pull himself onto the bus with only his one arm. Gasping, panting he doubled over and tried to regain lost energy. He dusted himself off while everyone stared at him confusion. He reached down into his pocket and pulled out his badge. Erol in the back of the bus looked even more concerned.

            Jak faced them with a cold demeanor and held out his badge like a shield, "Everybody, I'm Officer Jak Traven. Krimzon Guard. We've got a slight… situation on the bus here."

            Keira rose from her seat, her eyes narrowing with anger because Helen was trembling besides her, "What's going on!? Are you crazy?" She demanded.

            "Ma'am, if you please sit down we can deal with this in an orderly fashion." Jak eyed the young woman. She was very pretty, he had to admit and she looked like a fierce warrior with her eyes glowing in a protective light. Had this been a different situation he might have given her a more thorough look over and maybe even a pick-up line, but he was already preoccupied.

            "No, I will not sit down!" Keira cried angrily, wishing he didn't look so attractive so everything would be easier. His hair was spiked by the wind and the sun glistened off the golden tresses, "You are scaring the shit out of these people!"

            "Ma'am." Jak snapped, now getting annoyed with her stubbornness. Their eyes each other and the bus became thick with the tension. Keira and Jak were close enough to feel the angry heat—hers' stubbornness, his fear—bouncing off each others' bodies in waves. They stared long and hard into one another's eyes.

            Finally, because he had such a stern voice, she sat down. A small pout marred her lips and she glared up at him as he passed. He offered her a smirk, but said nothing otherwise.

            Erol watched Jak approach in fear. He reached under his heavy sweatshirt and fingered something as Jak stepped closer and closer towards him.

            "If everyone will just stay in your seats and remain calm and quiet we'll be able to defuse the… problem." Jak bit back the word 'bomb'. No need to create a mass hysteria, "So sit tight and wait for my further instruction."

            As he approached Erol, the young man jumped from his seat. In his hand was a small pistol and it was aimed directly at Jak. Jak recoiled and screams of terror filled the air.

            "Get away from me!" He screamed.

            Jak pulled forth his own Glock and aimed it at Erol's head. They came to a standstill and everyone in the bus held their breath. Keira tensed and look at Erol harshly, as if judging his crime. But she also noticed that he looked more frightened then he looked evil.

            Jak knew there was no way he could deal with Erol right now so he said in a soothing voice, "I don't know you, man. I'm not here for you. So let's not do this."

            Erol wasn't listening to Jak. He was looking at Sam, "Stop the bus!" He cried and Sam's fingers tightened the wheel, knowing very well he couldn't stop.

            "He can't." Jak continued on soothingly.

            "Shut up, freak!" Erol shouted at Jak, taking a step forward. Jak instinctively took one back.

            Another young man, this one named Torn, leaned from his seat, "Stay cool, man." He advised Erol in his rough voice.

            "Stop the bus!" Erol called to Sam once again. Sam glanced over at Jak, looking for an order of what to do.

            Jak didn't bother to answer, "Look, I'm putting my gun away." Slowly, he replaced the gun back into its holster, "Okay? Okay? Listen, I don't care about your crime. Whatever it is you did I'm sure… you're very sorry and so it's cool now. It's over." He also dropped his gun on the floor, "And I'm not a cop right now. See? We're just two cool guys. Just hanging on the bus."

            Though there was a fumbling manner to Jak's speech, no one could miss the hypnotic lull he had placed in it. Erol slowly began to lower his gun. Then the big man Keira had called Sig jumped him.

            "NOOOO!!!!!" Jak cried. He lunged over to Sig and Erol to stop their fighting. Erol's hand pulled the trigger and a shot blasted into the air. Everyone not involved with the struggle dropped to the floor. As Jak tried to pull the two men apart, Erol fired once again by accident.

            Sam fell forward against his driving wheel, gasping for breath. He still kept his foot pressed firmly against the gas pedal. The only two who noticed this at first were Keira and Helen.

            "SAM!" Helen cried in horror as the bus gave a jerk. Keira lunged forward the wheel to stop it from crashing and Helen reached out to help Sam.

            Jak heard their struggle and decided to finish Erol off. He disarmed the young man with two crunching blows. Erol rolled to the floor, completely subdued.

            "Move him!" Keira screamed to Helen as she tried to remove Sam's foot from the pedal.

            "He's bleeding!" Helen cried to Keira, pressing her hands against Sam's shoulder to try to stop the flowing of his fluids.

            "I have to stop this thing!" Keira cried as Sam's blood trickled onto her arm. She knew her friend didn't have much time before he died.

            Hearing that, Jak spun around and shouted to her, "No! No, stay above fifty! You gotta stay above fifty. Do you hear me?"

            Keira glared at him through the front mirror of the bus, "We've got an injured man—"

            "You gotta stay above fifty or this bus will explode!" Jak ordered, seeing that he could no longer keep it a secret. Everyone fell into a deep silence at those words and Keira's eyes met his in the mirror for the briefest second. She then pressed her foot on the accelerator.

            "Shit." She mumbled unhappily.

**Author's Notes: **Oooh! Cliffhanger! How is Keira gonna handle the fact that she's on a bus meant to explode? Obviously no one's gonna take it well!

**Next Chapter:** In which Keira is sarcastic, Jak is not amused, Praxis is bastard, there is a baby carriage and Jak the Younger makes a cameo with Kor.

**Reviews:**

**Krimzon-Yakkow026:** why, thank ya kindly. I do try to make my stories interesting and I'm just ever-so glad you're loving them! And since the story is based on the actual screen play of 'Speed' I hope it isn't too hard to understand. I hope you enjoy the next chapters because there are some twists!

**Silent Zephyr:** I'm glad there is another Speed fan out there! I can't find any who does. Anyway, as far as Roid fanart goes I've suspended all fanart due to the havoc my personal life is currently in. Sorry for any inconvenience I may have caused you

**Specter Von Baron:** why, hello, puppet. I'm glad you've watched the movie and now you know what happened in the beginning. I always thought it didn't get interesting until Keanu meets Sandra, but maybe that's just me?

**DarkJakLuverandTora****:** when I first read the plotline of 'Speed' I thought there was no way this could be interesting. A bus that couldn't stop going and going? Sounds like something from the Pink Power Bunny commercials, no? But it's my favourite movie now!

**Glorfindel**** Silverleaf:** well, I updated… just not ever fast sheepish grin I hope you continue to review you… ah… silverleaf, you!

**Hellmouth2:** I shan't ever stop! That is a promise! Writing is my life… 'cause I have no life and I am proud of it!

**Monkeypants****:** Yes, Jak IV! Specter has been helping quite a bit to get it started so it came out faster then originally planned! Sala and Gareth will be making a few cameos, but the plotline doesn't revolve around the Holy City so much as before. Look at the trailer!

**Chris:** glad you like!

                        And now, as promised, here is the trailer for Jak IV: The Abomination. I would just like to thank **Specter Von Baron** for his help and creation of the trailer! Without him who knows where the sequel would be? Certainly not even begun to be written! You're a doll, Specter!

**Jak IV: The Abomination**  
  
_My name is Roid Lightning, and I have a story to tell_  
  
"I'm so sorry, Keira, but Jak just didn't come back after the mission. He just disappeared. The Krimzon Guard and the Wastelanders are searching for him but… but it's been two months, Keira."  
  
_It is not my story, though I suppose I play a part in it_  
  
"Everything goes from ashes to ashes... but in between there is life… if we do not stop it's rising that in-between will end… -  
  
_It is how we did something that no one could have thought possible... or  even believe_  
  
"The newly recreated Sage-Harmona has found an ancient stone tablet depicting the power of Neryc's bloodline… and they sought to control it… that was how the Abomination was made… a Metal Head in a human cell."  
  
_The power that we 7 wielded, and that the Pyrafiter used, was unimaginable_  
  
She filled his every sleeping thoughts and most of his wakening. He loved her like no man or beast had ever loved before... and now... now she was dead  
  
_Cyren's courage was tremendous on that day and, as long as that human is by his side, he will continue to show that courage_

"I am meant to love you, have your child, and watch her die as she fights to change what she tried to do millions of years ago. I can't do that to her, Cyren, no matter how I love… Kigene can't be born again; she'll die like in my dream…"

_For we have one last battle before the end... but who will survive the coming conflict, not even my foresight can tell_  
  
"Crea said to stay by your side since you know how to fight and—" Maelia jerked her to the left and looked at the blonde talking to the leader of the desert band, "but I DO know how to fight, Crea!"  
  
_I just hope that if I die that my companions will remember me, Roid Lightning, descendent of the Metal Head general Wodu. And I will protect the ones I love... at any cost..._

"You fear us… we the mere mortals, god! That is why you want the girl dead for she is the sum of all your fears. She is the mother of Change… the mother of your downfall… tremble god at the power of a woman… the life-giver…"


	3. Bomb on the Bus

**Title**: Speed: Haven City Style

**Chapter:** 3/?

**Disclaimer:** don't own the Jak series or the movie… [sobs]

**Keywords:** Jak, Keira, that damned bus, and cameos

**Couples:** hinting Jak/Keira

**Chapter Rating:** PG-13 for the language and the violence

**Genre(s):** action/drama/very little romance

**Feedback:** of course

**Timeline:** exactly where chapter 2 left off

**Author's Notes:** Very late update, I know. I've actually been out at my aunt's ranch until last week. As soon as I returned I worked my rump off to get this written and posted. So here is the product of my sweet! I hope you enjoy! I promise to have the next chapter out a LOT faster then this one. Cross my heart, hope to die…

**Story notes: **Lost of action, very fast-paced… ah… buckle up?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Last time on Speed: __Haven__City__ Style_

                        You gotta stay above fifty or this bus will explode!" Jak ordered, seeing that he could no longer keep it a secret. Everyone fell into a deep silence at those words and Keira's eyes met his in the mirror for the briefest second. She then pressed her foot on the accelerator.

            "Shit." She mumbled unhappily.

_This time on Speed: __Haven__City__ Style…_

Chapter Three- Bomb on the Bus 

                        Jak turned and addressed the whole bus while he handcuffed Erol to one of the seats.

            "There is a bomb on this bus. If we slow down, it'll blow." He clicked one handcuff onto Erol's wrist, "If we try to get off, it'll explode." He clicked on the second handcuff and glared down at Erol, "Don't move."

            Torn stood up and glared at Jak in disbelief as some people began to cry softly behind him, "Oh, this is bullshit! Nobody's gonna—this is some joke man!"

            Jak pressed himself up into Torn's face and glared at him, "Are we gonna have a problem now?" He asked in a low, dangerous voice. Remembering what he had just down to Erol, Torn sat down.

            Jak moved over to Sam, who was being nursed by Helen and Mrs. Kamino, "He's bleeding so bad!" Helen cried in terror, "I don't know what to do. There's all this blood…"

            Mrs. Kamino pulled off her sweat and wrapped it tautly around Sam's shoulder. Jak nodded in his head in approval.

            "We're gonna make it through this if everybody stays calm and sits down." Jak called to them as he reached the spot where Sig had sat down once more, "That means you, Gigantor."

            Torn reached over and helped the two women situate Sam more comfortably on the seat. Jak didn't even look at them as he made his way over to Keira. She had her head lowered slightly so the hair green/blue hair fell across her face and she had a death grip on the wheel. Jak knew she was terrified and he admired her for maintaining her control over the bus.

            "This is great." Keira muttered to herself, feeling her heart pound against her chest, "A bomb on wheels. As if my day couldn't get any worse."

            Jak placed his hands on the railing of the front of the bus and looked at the zoomer in front of them, "Ma'am, can you handle this?"

            "Sure. Sure, I can do this. It's like driving a really big Pinto," Keira returned sarcastically, pushing away hair from her eyes.

            Jak frowned at her, refusing to be amused. He was surprised at how pretty she really was and looked down at her soft hair. However, more pressing matter concerned him, "Can you handle it?" He snapped again, truly not appreciating her sarcasm at this time… well, not much anyway.

            "I'm fine!" Keira snapped back, somehow oddly reassured by his presence near her own. Somehow it was like everything was going to be okay, "Just tell me the plan… is there a plan?"

            "Just for you to drive. We're okay as long as you stay above fifty." Jak explained to her as he reached for the cell phone he had stuffed into his back pocket. As Keira took deep breaths to calm herself, he dialed Daxter's number.

            "So you're a cop?" Keira asked.

            "That's right." Jak agreed, not really paying attention.

            "Then I should probably tell you that I'm just taking the bus 'cause I have my driver's license revoked." Keira said, a small smile curving her lips.

            "What for?" Jak asked because he was mildly interested—she sounded like an interesting woman—and because it was expected of him.

            Almost sheepishly, Keira admitted, "Speeding."  
            Jak allowed himself a grin at her antic and patted her hand to let her know everything was going to be okay. He barely registered that the hand was harm and soft beneath he own as he finished dialing.

------------------

                        Howard Praxis entered his garage room and walked over to his four TVs. They were all playing different newscast. Praxis sat down and watched with amusement all the different angles playing on the bus 2525.

            A Krimzon Guard helicopter flew by and Praxis made out Samos's face as it circled the bus. He grinned again.

            "Apparently a member of the Krimzon Guard SWAT team boarded the bus just moments ago…" A news anchorman was saying into Praxis's TV with a grim face. Praxis gave a chuckle and tapped the TV with the wire of his large cell phone.

            "Would that be you, Jak?" He asked.

------------------

                        The roar of the traffic was causing Jak to lose focus as he watched Keira glide through the highway. She was biting her lip so hard that for a brief second Jak worried she would cause herself to bleed. Shaking his head, he pressed his cell phone closer to his ear so he could hear Daxter better.

            "Where do we start?" Jak asked, wincing just slightly as Keira gave a small shriek as the buss hit another zoomer on its side before they passed it. Her small hands gripped the wheel so tight she could have broken if off and she was panting as if she had just ran a mile. To reassure her he placed a hand on her stiff shoulders.

            Across the line, Daxter rubbed his aching forehead before answering in the calmest voice he could muster, "Okay, cheek the speedometer. Has it been fucked with, loosen… any wires?"

            Jak removed his hand from Keira's shoulder and bent down. He pushed aside her knee so he could cheek the meter beneath the dashboard. He wasn't as trained in this as Daxter, but from what he could see…

            He stood up and answered in the phone, "No it's clean."

            Daxter nodded, though Jak had no way of knowing, as if he expected that, "Then it's gotta be under the bus. Probably rigged to one of the axles."

            Jak looked around the bus once, at the panicked faces and then down at the blurry street and groaned, "I can't get under the bus right now, Dax." He said it in a voice that suggested it was the most ridiculous idea he had ever heard and that Daxter was being stupid for being the one to suggest it, "It's kinda ah… in _motion_."

            Across from him, Sam began to grunt as loudly as he could—though in his weakened condition it was very soft—to gain Jak's attention. His movements were so frantic that Helen feared he would do himself more harm so she decided to get Jak's attention for him.

            "Officer?" Helen cried; Jak didn't look over at her and she tried to be louder, "Hey, Officer Traven?"

            Jak looked up, saw Sam trying to make motions with his hands, and knelt down besides him. He leaned his ear next to Sam's sweaty face as the darker man tried to gain enough breath to speak.

            "Access panel… there's… in the floor…" When Jak gave him a blank stare, Sam detailed his words more, "underneath you… man."

            Jak lowered his head and found he was kneeling on a small square outlined in white with a silver handle. _Bingo_, Jak thought triumphantly and bent down to release the hatch while calling into his cell phone, "Hang on."

            He leaned his head out of the bottom of the bus zoomer and almost was sick as he watched the pavement swish by him. He brought his head up and motioned for the unoccupied man closest to him to come forward. Doug Stephens looked confused for a moment before finally sitting down next Jak and accepting the phone he offered.

            "Hold this please." Jak said, pointing to the cell phone Stephens clutched in his hands like a lifeline, "Tell Officer Temple what I see."

            Jak stuck his head down into the opening again and searched the axle for signs of the bomb. He found the bomb easy enough even though it was dark and cramped there. He squinted at the bomb and tried to make out specific details that would aid Daxter in defusing the bomb.

            "There's a wad… right axle…" Jak called over to Stephens, his eyes never leaving the bomb, "pretty big…"

            Stephens nodded and dictated into the phone, "There's a pretty big wad…" Across the line he heard Daxter shouting out the details to his fellow officers.

            "Brass fittings…" Jak called up and slowly reached out his strong arm as he cried, "I think I can… reach the circuit wire… I think…"

            "He can reach the circuit wire…"

            "No! No!" Daxter screamed so loud he almost popped Stephens's eardrums, "Don't. That'll be a… a decoy… yeah, it's gotta be a decoy. Classic."

            Stephens leaned over closer to Jak to make sure the young officer could hear him as he said, "That's your classic decoy. Don't touch it."

            "What else?" Daxter questioned and Stephens repeated it.

            "Hold on…" Jak muttered, to which Stephens repeated even though he didn't have to. It was hard for him to see with all the pipes of the zoomer bus so he stuck his head lower.

            Now he could see the large—obscenely massive amount—white wad of plastic stuck to the front of the undercarriage. There were many detonators, wires, buttons… but what caught Jak's attention the most was the jerry-rigged timer around a gutted gold wristwatch. It was worn and Jak knew it may not take much to set it off…

            "Fuck me…" He whispered in horror and Stephens eyes widened as Jak said it. He knew then something had to be wrong.

            "Oh darn…" Stephens translated, but Daxter on other end knew that hadn't been his friend's exact words. He hastily handed the phone over to Jak as the young officer stood. Stephens hurried back to his set and clutched his tour guide books.

            Into the phone, Jak spoke in a slightly panicked voice, "Dax, there's enough C4 on this thing to put a whole in the fucking world… a really big hole…"

            In his officer, Daxter felt a small bead of sweat form on the collar of his neck, "Alright… _shit_… be calm… like me. What else is there?"

            Jak paused as he remembered every thing he had seen—every little detail counted, "Three triggers. One on the axle I can't really see. Cellular remote and a timer, running off a wristwatch."

            Daxter blinked as the word 'wristwatch' came through from the other end. Frowning, he asked his partner, "What kind of watch?"

            Jak shook his head, confused. This wasn't time to be asking about a watch, "Too far off to see. Gold band… fairly cheesy…" What was Daxter getting at?

            "Officer!" Keira called over to him as her eyes widened at the sight before her. Her breathing hitched a notch but Jak didn't answer.

            "What's on your mind, Daxter?" Jak asked, something also bothering him about the watch. He couldn't quite place it, but he was sure Daxter felt it, too. Jak groaned as over the loud speaker he heard Keira's aggravated voice.

            "Traven, NOW!" Keira pushed away the microphone as she watched Jak approach from the rearview mirror. When he gave her a questioning look, she pointed out the window. Jak's looked and moaned in frustration.

            There was a domino of red brake lights washing back at them, screaming for them to slow down when they couldn't.

            "Get on the shoulder." Jak ordered and Keira obeyed with question. She blasted pass other zoomers as she made a mad dash for the open roadway.

            A half a mile ahead they could see a stalled zoomer getting rolled onto a tow truck in the shoulder as well. Behind it loomed the 'off ramp' sign.

            "Get off or stay on?" Keira asked as she tightened her grip on the wheel. The off ramp got closer by the minute and Jak didn't seem to be making up his mind, "Jak?"

            If they got off they wouldn't have to deal with the traffic, Jak knew, but what about the civilians off the highway? Either way, nothing would be easy, "Shit…" He whispered, unable to make a choice.

            Keira winced as she was forced to squeeze the bus between the tow trucks and the slow lane. She hit the zoomer in back of the tow truck as she passed and sent it flying over the other truck. Her curses—enough to give Jak's mouth a run for its money—filled the bus as she sideswiped several more zoomers.

            The off ramp was only inches away now, "Jak… what now?"

            Just as they reached it, Jak made his decision, "Off. OFF!" He was forced to lean against Keira as she made the bus swerve to get on the exit. The bus hit water barrels and scarped against other zoomers and curbs, but it managed to stay up right.

             Keira looked up at him with annoyed look on her face, but it quickly turned into one of relief when she saw the empty road ahead of her. She grinned at Jak and he grinned right back.

            But it doesn't last very long as they entered the civilian filled roadways. Keira's right hand moved to the horn so she could hit it repeatedly to warn everyone of their movements. Her hands and feet were constantly moving as she worked to keep everyone—on the bus and off—from harm.

            As Keira served and crisscrossed through traffic the passengers of the bus were thrown from their seats and knocked around. Jak at one point fell on his rump but righted himself with a slightly sheepish look at having fallen in front of Keira. As he stood, he gasped as he saw the red light. Cross traffic ahead of it…

            Jak watched as Keira's foot hesitated over the brake, but before she could touch it he pressed his booted foot none-to-gently against her foot over the gas pedal.

            They whizzed through the cross traffic, causing zoomers to honk their horns and fishtail into one another. Sam winced in pain as the bus slowed down as it crashed lightly into another zoomer and Helen clutched his hand.

            Jak's head was lowered and Keira was glancing down when she could spare her eyes to watch the speedometer. Their breath caught at the same time when it dipped down towards fifty and they released it at the same time when it started to rise again. They gave each other a look of relief when they saw that the road was empty for a half-mile.

------------------

                        Further down the road, a woman chatted aimlessly with her younger friend. Their threadbare cloths proclaimed them to be low on the social class scale in Haven City.

            They didn't seem too bothered though as they grinned and laughed at one another. They stepped into the street, looking to cross over to the fast food store.

            In front of her, the older woman pushed a baby carriage…

-----------------

                        Jak and Keira glanced away from each other after what seemed like a little too long a moment of smiling at one another. Jak's cellular jerked to life with a sharp ring and the blonde Krimzon Guard answered.

            He removed the phone from his ear as Samos's overly loud voice filled the phone. Once the captain was done with his talk, Jak replaced it and said into it, "Samos, where ya been? We had to bail on the freeway. We're in the city!"

-----------------

                        In the copper flying over Haven City, Samos sat with its map spread out on his lap. He traced a finger along the route Jak had relayed to him.

            "I can see you, Jak." Samos said to the phone as he watched the bus Jak was on zigzag through a maze of streets, trying to dodge as many zoomers as possible.

            "Keep going straight." Samos suggested, "We'll try to clear the roads out for you. We'll do out best to keep civilians out of the way. We'll get you out, Jak."

            He leaned down closer to his map as Jak cut the line.

-------------------

                        Howard Praxis ate his sandwich of baloney and drank his glass of milk in his TV room. Around him there were the four TVs. Three of the small, portable television sets had the shots of the moving bus in the city. A forth showed him the football game going on in another city, unaware of what happened in Haven.

            He was transfixed by the football game…

--------------------

                        There was something irking Daxter about the bomber holding the bus passengers—and now Jak—hostage. Ashlin could see it as he rapped his fists against the desk. Daxter was thinking about the wristwatch.

            "I don't get it." Ashlin said as Daxter began to rap his fists again.

            "The watch is a shitty timer. Why use it? What's he trying to say?" Daxter asked himself and Ashlin shrugged.

            "A lot of his people have watches, Daxter." She pointed out.

            "This guy has not M.O." Daxter said to her, explaining what was going on in his head, "The bombers fall in love with one type of bomb and are very monogamous. This guy uses C4, dynamite, a different trigger every time, and now he's thrown in this watch."

            "He's an encyclopedia of bombs. Knows every kind." Ashlin muttered.

            Daxter's face slowly got a realization look to it, "And everything we do to dismantle them." He wheeled around and looked at Ashlin in shock, "Ash, I want to look at every file from, say, the last ten years."

            Ashlin shook her head, "We did the mug shots, Dax—"

            "No," Daxter cut her off with one word and a shake of his head, "I want to look at cops."

--------------------

                        Zoomers were forced to halt as the police zoomers came screeching down the road. The skidded to a halt in front of the intersection, blocking traffic from the road. Other zoomers were forced to slam on their breaks and they barely had time to curse at the cop zoomers as a large bus flew past them going the opposite way.

            Inside the bus, passengers watched as the road zoomed by them. They were silent except for their heavy breathing. Panic thick in the small room.

            Keira cursed as a garbage truck was pulled out in front of the bus. She was forced to swerve hard left and rush into oncoming traffic. She managed to get the bus to dodge most of the oncoming zoomers, though she hit a few. She crashed into an old Lincoln zoomer and sent it flying into the air.

------------------

                        The woman with the baby carriage waved goodbye to her friend as she remembered she needed to go to the drug store for medicine for her cough.

            Humming a happy tone, the woman pushed the baby carriage towards the curb of the street.

------------------

                        In the helicopter, Samos was doing his best to get Jak and the bus to the safest roads, "You got about ten more blocks and there'll be some units waiting. Follow them straight, then there's a left at the T. You'll head onto the 105 freeway. It's not in use yet; it'll be empty."

------------------

                        "Right." Jak said into his walkie talkie and relayed the information to Keira. She nodded and pressed her foot harder into the pedal.

            As they came up alongside a purple van the lady with the baby carriage moved in front of it. Keira screamed in horror and Jak's mouth fell open, but it was too late to do anything for the baby or the lady.

            The bus crashed into the baby carriage as the woman jumped clear. Keira screamed again and squeezed her eyes tight, releasing the wheel for a moment. Jak lunged and gripped it for her. He didn't want to, but he turned his head up and looked at the baby carriage and the woman through the rearview mirror.

            He watched as the baby carriage was lifted at least seventy feet into the air. He grimaced as it crashed into the hard pavement. He prayed for the baby when the hundreds of soda and beer cans came sailing out of it. A smile bloomed across his face when he realized a baby wasn't dead.

            "Oh God, oh God, oh God." Keira said, panting, pressing a hand to her heart, "Oh God… oh my God! I just… I just killed…!"

            "Ma'am, ma'am," Jak said soothingly so Keira looked up at him. He motioned her to look out the mirror, "there's your baby."

            Keira turned her head and looked through the sideview mirror. She sighed with relief when she saw the cans and the old woman chasing after them, waving an angry fist into the air. She retook the wheel and grinned up at Jak.

            "Looks just like you, honey," she said sarcastically and Jak allowed himself to chuckle softly.

            Finally, they saw the police zoomers waiting for them at the end of the block. They led the bus down the empty streets, relatively safe from harm for the moment. Then the cop zoomers lead them to an on-ramp. Keira prepared to turn the bus.

            Suddenly a group of kids and their wizened teacher walked blithely onto the street. They screamed as they saw the bus, but there was no way for them to get out of the way. Keira was forced to swerve the bus and continue down the road opposite the freeway.

            A young boy, with blonde hair and stubby legs, watched the bus whiz with a mixed look of fear and shock on his young face, "Cool…" He managed to mutter.

            "Young Jak!" The teacher, who's nametag read Kor, grabbed the little boy's hand and pulled him away, "You're going to get yourself killed!"

            "Why aren't you in school!?" Keira shouted to them as they zoomed by the freeway and children, "Why the hell are you in school!?"

            Jak was cursing viciously as he pressed the phone to his ear and shouted to Samos, "Samos, we're boned!"

            "I saw." Samos answered on the other line, "Keep going straight. I'm looking for another way on."

            Jak nodded, though Samos couldn't see, and dictated to Keira. The patrol zoomers showed up again and cleared the road for them, even though not many people had been on the road to begin with.

            Samos's voice came back on the other end, "Jak, there's another entrance in about two miles. You've gotta make an ugly turn, though."

            "How ugly?" Jak asked calmly.

            Keira titled her head and bit her lip, "What's ugly?" She didn't like the way Jak's lips tightened as he talked to his boss on the other end.

            Jak nodded into his phone and then faced her, "We got a hard right coming up. At the construction site."

             Keira looked out her window and squinted. The construction site was pretty far away but it was slightly visible. However, she couldn't see the road to turn on.

            "This is a dead end," Keira muttered.

            Jak was staring at the construction site, too, but he wasn't as convinced as Keira was, "There's a turn… there's gotta be a turn. Samos said so…"

            There was a turn. Further a head, the first police zoomer took it. It nearly wiped out. Another followed, with all attendants screeching.

            Keira's eyes widened, "I can't make that!" She shouted in horror, looking at the slim road. Yes, there was no way this bus could handle that turn. It would flip over onto its side, too top heavy to stay upright.

            "Keep left." Jak ordered.

            "But it's—"

            "Keep left! You take it wide!"

            "We're gonna tip over!"

            Jak stared at her for a short beat. He stared at her so hard, so intensely, that Keira began to blush under his gaze. The wheels in his head were turning, she could see. What crazy plan had Jak cooked up now?  
            The young officer turned and addressed the passengers, "Everyone on this side of the bus!" He motioned to the right side of the bus. When the passengers hesitated he growled in deep impatience, "NOW!"

            The passengers scrambled to obey, all squeezing next to one another on the right side of the bus. Erol strained to get over, his cuffs hindering him.

            "Move! Move! As far over as you can! Hurry!" Jak ordered them, waving impatient hands. He watched as Keira eased the accelerator off as far as it was safe when the turn become fifty yards away. He pressed the phone into his ear and said quietly, "You better make sure the construction site is clear, Samos."

            Jak turned back to Keira as she arced out to flatten the turn as best as she could, "Hold on!" She shouted in warning as she made the turn. The passengers were thrown about, but most managed to stay upright.

            The bus was lifted off its side for a moment as the tires screeched against the pavement. Some passengers screamed, others held their breath.

            Keira strained against the wheel, trying to hold it steady. She gritted her teeth, but continued to lose control of the wheel. Jak rushed forward and grabbed the wheel, helping her hold the turn. Together, they forced the wheel of the bus back onto the pavement. As Keira brought the bus back into the line, Jak turned and faced the passengers with a weary smile on his face.

            "As you were." He told them and some smiled back them as everyone went back to their respective seats.

            Helen was gasping for breath as she pushed a hand against her bosom, white as a sheet, "Good Lord, we might have… I can't think…"

            Stephens took her arm and lead her back to her seat, "It's okay. If you have to, go right ahead and vomit." Helen gave him a look as the bus finally entered the freeway.

------------------

                        Just outside the freeway, Samos's chopper landed and the head chief hopped out. Norwood was out his side, going over the freeway route.

            "I want choppers up ahead. Make damn sure there's nothing obscuring the freeway. We got a window here; let's keep it open." He snapped to Norwood and the younger man nodded.

------------------

                        Jak grinned and knelt down besides Keira as she kept her eyes on the road, "Ma'am, you did very well." He looked at her hard. She really was pretty, he decided, beautiful. And strong. Perhaps in this situation he could count on her to help him be strong as well. Since Daxter wasn't here with him, he could really use someone to talk to without trying to soothe them at the same time. He decided—with her at least—to drop the hostage talk, "Actually you were incredible. I've never seen driving like that."

            "Keira." She said, titled her head to smile up at him. Now that he wasn't acting like some mucho cop, Keira felt herself opening up to him. He had the eyes that made you trust him.

            "What?"

            "…is my name. Keira. As opposed to ma'am." She grinned at him and he grinned right back, no longer under the strain of task at hand. Then Keira turned her head back towards the road, confusion written across her features.

            "I'm sorry?" Jak said, knowing she hadn't spoken but knowing he wanted to help her in any way he could. He touched her shoulder lightly, amazed by it softness and warmth.

            "Why is all this happening?" Keira asked, turning to look back up at him, liking the feel of his large hand on her shoulder, "Did we bomb this guy's country or something?"

            Jak shrugged and stretched. Truthfully, he had never thought about why a bomber bombed things. They were bad and he was good so he took them in and that was that, "He's just some guy looking for money." He answered her.

            "No…" Keira said with a shake of her head, causing Jak to remove his hand, "I don't buy that. This is not a good way to make money. Odd are, we should be dead already. What's this guy's deal?"

            Jak paused, debating whether or not he should tell her the truth. After a beat, remembering what he had decided earlier, he spoke, "A while back this guy held some people for ransom. Things went sour and now he's a little pissed at me…"

            "Then what does this—"

            "It's a game. If he gets the money, he wins. If the bus blows up, he wins." Jak answered before she could finish her sentence.

            "And what happens if you win?" Keira asked.

            "Then tomorrow we'll play another one."

            Keira looked at him and bit her tongue playfully, "But I'm not available tomorrow." Jak blinked down at her and her smile widened, "Busy." Jak found himself laughing right along with her.

--------------------

                        Daxter frowned at the items laid out before him. Items from last job of Howard Praxis, lined up and tagged. Ashlin was leaning against the door from watching him study the items with a fellow SWAT member.

            "We got no match for that description." The SWAT cop said, waving a scrap of paper as he broke the silence that had been going on for a good twenty minutes, "No one's lost an eye and part of their face, at least from the last ten years."

            Ashlin growled in frustration as Daxter's search of criminals with missing faces came up blank. "He could be anywhere," she pointed out.

            The SWAT cop looked at her in horror, "I can't access all that—" He began to tell her when Daxter cut them off with a wave of his hand.

            "Forget the files." He snapped and then addressed Ashlin, "I want you to go through the pension fund. This guy's drawing disability. He may not be Krimzon Guard but he's living here now."

            Ashlin nodded and turned from the room as Daxter's voice followed after her, shouting loudly, "I want pictures!"

            Daxter frowned down at the items on his desk, alone now. There was something irking him about this scumbag. He seemed so familiar but he couldn't place him. He knew he had seen or heard about this guy before.

            "I've seen this asshole." He muttered to himself, touching a piece of the deactivated bomb's core.

-------------------

                        Jak watched as Samos and his cop pulled up besides the bus in a large flat bed carrying him and his fellow SWAT members. He nodded to Keira to keep going straight and stepped down the steps of the bus to face his boss.

            As the doors of the bus slide open, Samos shouted over the rush of pavement zooming by, "Let's get this passengers unloaded!"

            Nothing would please Jak more then to see all these people off the bus so he would have one less thing to worry about, but he knew the rules well. "I can't do that, sir," he told Samos, his eyes calm, giving away nothing of what he was thinking.

            "This is no time for stunts, Traven!" Samos snapped, almost throwing his arms up in exasperation, "We gotta get this people outta harm's way—"

            "I got orders." Was all Jak offered him and then he pointed with two fingers towards the helicopters flying overhead, "If we move these people, he'll see. Crazy, not stupid remember, sir?"

            Samos frowned but accepted it with a curt nod, "Daxter's working on finding this guy. We think we might have been a cop at one point."

            Norwood, who was in the passenger seat of this flatbed, leaned through the back mirror that had been opened and called over to Samos, "Sir, it's him… and he wants to speak with Jak."

            Jak glanced at Norwood and nodded, "Give him my number." He told the officer and retreated into the bus, turning on his cellular.

            As he waited for the ring of his phone he glanced at Sam, who was getting progressively worse, "How is he doing?" He asked Helen.

            "His bleeding is less but…" Mrs. Kamino answered for Helen—was had dived into shellshock moments before—and her look told Jak there wasn't much time for the injured bus driver.

            "Are they gonna help us?" Helen asked, watching with a pale face as the flatbed of police drove past the window opposite of her. Her breathing was heavy and uneven, as if she struggled to remember how to breathe,

            Stephens tried to give her a reassuring look, "Sure they are. They're the police." He said in a voice that suggested he thought it was obvious, "Hey, your taxes are paying their salary. If we die they gotta take a pay cut!"  
            Helen shuddered, staring at him in horror.

            "What I mean…" Stephens began again, but fell quiet when Jak's cell phone rung and he pressed it to his ear.

            "Yeah." Jak growled, knowing full well who was on the other end of the line. Keira looked up at him in surprise when she heard his angry tone.

            "Jak," Praxis began, a note of annoyance in his voice, "I think we have trust, but it looks like on TV like you're trying to get those passengers off the bus."

            Jak tilted his head sideways and looked over at Sam before saying to Praxis, "You gotta let me have one… just one…"

            Praxis chuckled, clucking his tongue against his teeth as if scolding Jak, "Now, we went over the rules before… need we go over them again?"

            "Come on," Jak pressed, knowing Sam needed to get off the bus and get off it now, "as an act of faith. We got an injured man here. The driver's been shot."

            That had Praxis hooting with laughter, "Jak, tell me you haven't been _shooting _the passengers. I thought it was customary for the officers to shot the bad guys."

            "Hey, get in range." Jak suggested, grinding his teeth together.

            "No one gets off."

            "Come on!" Jak shouted in rage, trying to lower his voice when everyone stared at him in horror, "This guy has _no_ time. It'll… it'll grease the wheels with the money men if you show a little charity. There's still gonna be plenty of us to kill."

            Praxis shrugged and leaned back in his chair, "Okay, son. You can try and unload the bus driver. Tell that wildcat behind the wheel not to slow down, though, or he won't get a chance to bleed to death. And Jak…"

            "Yeah?" Jak snapped, feeling odd that he was angry that Praxis had brought Keira into this.

            "Don't slip." And the line went dead.

            Jak pushed the phone back into his pocket and walked down the aisle towards Sam, "We're gonna get the driver off."

            Helen looked at him with wide eyes, her lips trembling, "Just him?"

            "For now." He answered, not noticing the way she started to tremble or the glazed, horrified look in her eyes. Instead, Jak turned to Sig and eyed him for a moment before finally saying, "Gigantor."

            Sig stood, the whole burly build of him, and looked down at Jak with a look of admiration, "Sig, chili pepper."  
            "Sig, I'm gonna need your help."

            "Okay." Sig answered, already having an idea of what he would be needed to do. Together they walked over to Sam and started to pick him up.

            Helen watched and asked, "What about the rest of us?" No one listened and she lowered her head, panting hard, eyes growing wilder and wilder by the second.

            "You have to keep him straight or I think the wound will tear." Mrs. Kamino said as Sig and Jak picked Sam up.

            As Sig heaved Sam up, Jak picked up the walkie talkie Samos had given him and said into, "Samos, he's letting us unload the driver. Pull up alongside of us." He then bent down and picked up Sam's feet.

            Sig smiled down at Sam as his eyes opened weakly, "How ya feelin, cherry?" He asked as Sam winced in pain, trying to take the man's mind off of the pain he knew the bus driver was in.

            The bus driver shot Sig a look that said it was the stupidest question to ask, "Like I've been shot."

            Sig lifted Sam's head and Jak lifted the legs and as he was raised, Torn rushed forward to support Sam's middle. Jak gave him a nod of approval as they walked the wounded man towards the stairs of the bus.

            As the doors slide open and the flatbed pulled up alongside of the bus, Jak shouted, "We gotta keep him straight!" To Keira he ordered, "Try to keep it as close as you can without crashing them."  
            As the SWAT team nodded in understanding, Jak inched down the steps. With one hand he gripped the railing of the steps and the other held Sam's legs, he moved towards the end of the stairs. Slowly, he leaned out the bus, trying to ignore the pavement whizzing by him. He gave Sam's legs to SWAT team waiting and slowly, aching slow, the exchange was made.

            As Sig and Torn reclaimed their seats without a word to Jak, he stepped back on the bus. He felt himself chuckle as he saw Mrs. Kamino trying to wipe away the blood on the seats and floor. It was pointless, but the fact that she was trying was funny.

            When she looked up at him with concern for the bus driver, he told her, "I think he's gonna be…"

            As Jak talked to Mrs. Kamino, Helen moved forward unnoticed by anyone. She made her way to the steps, her face etched in panic. The doors were still open and the SWAT team was still there. Why shouldn't she leave?

            Keira blinked as she noticed Helen hesitate on the last bus stop. Her mouth flew open as she realized what her friend was planning to do.

            "I'm sorry, Keira…" Helen said as she turned towards the SWAT team, who were ushering her to come off the bus. She reached out her hand.

            "No!" Keira screamed, trying to grab Helen's blouse but being to far away, "Helen, no! Helen!"  
            Jak turned his head and watched as Helen reached for the flat bed, "NO!" He rushed towards Helen as Keira screamed for him, her voice frantic.

------------------

                        Praxis frowned as he watched on TV the middle aged woman reach for the flat bed. He reached out a finger and pressed a button on his cellular.

------------------

                        Directly below Helen a small red light flickered on in the white putty.

------------------

                        Jak had almost reached Helen when the explosion rocked him. The SWAT team on the flatbed where sent to their backs and Jak crashed into Keira, causing the bus to serve, and she cried out but more from fear then pain.

            Helen's body slipped into the hole on the stairs of the bus created by the bomb.

            Jak reached for Helen as she screamed, but it was too late. She fell and Jak fell. Sig reached out and grabbed Jak's collar, hauling him into the bus. As Jak collapsed to his knees in defeat, the bus bumped sickeningly as a testimony to what happened to Helen. Keira's face lost all its color and she lowered her head, though still keeping her eyes on the road.

            Jak couldn't move. He stared at the space where Helen had stood… where the stairs had once. He could hear Keira almost hyperventilating.

------------------

                        Praxis grinned and chewed on the wire of his cellular with a grin, "Interactive TV, Jak. Wave of the future."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Notes:** Yes, Praxis is a bastard, ain't he? I think he was perfect for the role of Howard Payne from the movie. They even kinda look alike, no? No offense to Denis Hopper, of course.

**Next Chapter:** In which there is a gap, Stephen's already been to the airport, Keira and Jak get closer, and Jak does something very, very stupid involving a dolly…

Reviews:

**Specter Von Baron:** as always, you're continued support on both this story and Jak IV is lovely. I am sorry to disappoint you, but I can promise you that I'll make it up, somehow…

**Silent Zephyr:** Legendary? [giggles] Aw… worship… anyway, don't worry about the fanart thing. It was a dud idea… and since I have no idea how on earth to draw ANYTHING I cannot be cross with anyone. You're safe! :)

**Krimzon-Yakkow026:** Yay, you've seen SPEED! That is the best movie I've ever seen! Of course, it's sequel was a total let down… anywho, yes Document Manager has changed and, of course, I realized this after I posted Chapter 2. Luckily, my friend pointed it out and now I've fixed my paragraphs!

**Snowy Fox:** Good, glad you've seen it! And don't bother with Speed 2. Not worth anyone's time. There's no Jack, and Annie gets a new boyfriend and gets engaged to him at the end. I almost sent hate mail to the director. After all, the main male character (Alex) is a totally rip off of Jack. Safe to say it pissed me off.

**Glorfindel Silverleaf:** A very unique name, if I do say so myself, kinda reminds me of LotR. And thanks for the complements on Jak IV, though it was all Specter's ideas. Unfortunately, after some careful consideration, Jak IV is being remodeled into something completely different. So not quite sure when I'll have it out…

**Monkeypants:** I thank thee kindly. And don't worry if Jak IV confused you, after a while it confused the hell outta me. So now, remodeling time! I won't have a new trailer for it… at least not for a while.

**Prexistence:** Of course I remember you! I make a not to remember all my fans! [grins] And I am trying to figure out how I want Jak IV to go… not quite sure, but the plot is being to form… barely…


	4. The Jump

**Title:** Speed: Haven City Style

**Chapter:** 4/6

**Disclaimer:** Don't own the Jak serious or even _Speed_. Own the plot though. Ah… yay…?

**Keywords:** Jak, Keira, a large hole, a dolly

**Couples:** some Jak/Keira

**Chapter Rating**: PG-13 for language and slight violence

**Genre(s):** Action/Drama/slight Romance

**Feedback**: duh!

**Timeline:** right after chapter three

**Author's Notes:** Okay, I know this have, in fact, been posted earlier then the last chapter, but you should know that it was supposed to be up right before the Olympics over in Athens, Greece. I wanted to give it to you before I went there XD I was so excited to be going to Greece and seeing that amazing show of athletic skill that I was too hyper to post this. On another note, we're starting school tomorrow (we start later then everyone else) but, though it's bad news for me, it's good news for you. I've noticed that I have a tendency to update on a more consistent level during the school year which means that my stories will be more frequent. Isn't that good? P

On another note, because keeps on changing its damn criteria for posting chapters this may seem a little sloppy. I'm trying to find paragraph break pattern that doesn't conflict with so please bear with me. Thanks for your patience! You guys rock! :-D

**Story notes:** fast pace in the beginning, romantic (kinda) in the middle, and dramatic in the end. Ah… what more could you ask for…?

(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)

_--Last time on Speed: __Haven__City__ Style--_

Jak had almost reached Helen when the explosion rocked him. The SWAT team on the flatbed where sent to their backs and Jak crashed into Keira, causing the bus to serve, and she cried out but more from fear then pain.

Helen's body slipped into the hole on the stairs of the bus created by the bomb.

Jak reached for Helen as she screamed, but it was too late. She fell and Jak fell. Sig reached out and grabbed Jak's collar, hauling him into the bus. As Jak collapsed to his knees in defeat, the bus bumped sickeningly as a testimony to what happened to Helen. Keira's face lost all its color and she lowered her head, though still keeping her eyes on the road.

Jak couldn't move. He stared at the space where Helen had stood… where the stairs had once. He could hear Keira almost hyperventilating.

_--This time on Speed: __Haven__City__ Style--_

_Chapter Four- The Jump_

The bus was filled with silence. Most heads were lowered and a few were sobbing. Jak was silent, as was Keira though she was panting pretty hard. There were no tears in her eyes but there was guilt…

Finally Jak jumped to his feet in raw anger and shouted into his walkie talkie, "Samos, get those fucking choppers off my ass!"

Sig noticed that Mrs. Kamino was shivered so hard a gentle breeze could push her over. He walked over to her and placed his coat around her shoulders. Mrs. Kamino pulled it taunt around herself, small tears running down her face.

"Here," he said, trying to give her a small smile.

"Thank you," Mrs. Kamino said, titling her head so she could look up at him with her large eyes. "I'm a little cold…"

Stephens was shaking, trembling and saying to himself in a politely hysterical voice, "Jesus. I can't be here. I can't—this bus is—this is the wrong bus… for me to… I can't… I just can't die here… can I?"

Sig looked over at him in annoyance and snapped, "Hey, shut up, man! I got a wife." His voice creaked, holding a tone of fear.

Stephens barely acknowledged him as he answered in a soft, distance sounding voice, "You do?"

Torn leaned towards Sig. His face was curious but there was also an attitude in his eyes. "So if you got a wife and I don't, does that mean I'm expendable?"

Sig shook his head at Torn and muttered, "What are you talking about? This guy's talkin' crazy! Gets on my nerves, is all."

Stephens glared at Sig and snapped, "I think I have the right to be a little upset after all we've—"

"What are you starin' at everybody for?" Sig returned. "Poking your nose in? Let us die in peace, you—"

"Hey," Erol called form the back, straining against his cuffs. "Let's stop all this bullshit, we're just making more trouble—"

Torn wasn't listening to him as he retorted at Sig, "I'm interested to see how long before the mighty Wastelander comes to the surface and starts throwing rocks at people's heads—"

As the voices grew stronger, Jak turned and faced them angrily. "Hey, can that shit! Jesus, it's like a fucking school bus!" Everyone quieted down at once. Jak turned to Keira then and saw that she was trembling from suppressing her sobs. Her eyes were large and red-rimmed and her face was sheet white. Her knuckles were ghostly pale from where she clutched the wheel and he had no doubt she would have indentation marks from where she had gripped.

He knelt down besides her once more and looked at her tenderly, saying in a soothing voice, "Are you okay… Keira?"

Keira shook her head, her hair plastering to her forehead from the sweat on it. "No," she answered without hesitation.

Jak tried to gain her eyes but she wouldn't look at him. "What do you need?" he asked her.

Keira drew in a deep breath, trying to steady herself to talk. Jak took this time to tenderly wipe away the hair on her face, his fingers lingering on her smooth features longer then was necessary.

"When the bomb went off…" Keira began and Jak nodded.

"I know."

Keira shook her head. No he didn't know. "When it blew, I thought that was it, I thought that was the bomb and I was dead, and… when I saw her under the bus, I was…" Keira choked on a sob and couldn't say the rest, but Jak knew what she had wanted to get out.

"You were glad you were still alive," Jak completed for her.

Keira looked at him then, horror in her eyes because it was true. "Oh God… I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Jak suggested, pressing his palm to her trembling shoulder. "You should be glad. We all are. That doesn't mean you don't care. It means you're a human being."

Small tears finally came down her pale cheeks as she told him, "But she looked so scared…"

"She was scared," Jak agreed, his voice soothing as he ran his free hand through her hair. "She was a nice kind lady who didn't deserve to get killed. But, Keira, if she had gotten off he would have killed us all. He's the asshole, Keira, the guy that put us here. Remember that. Okay?"

Keira nodded shakily, lowering her head so her hair covered her eyes. When she raised it again, a small pink stain was covering her cheeks and she looked over at him with embarrassed features. "Do they teach you how to talk to hysterical hostages in cop school?"

Jak shook his head, a small smile playing across his lips as he answered, "No, it's mostly tying square knots and how to build fires, stuff like that."

Keira smiled a little.

Jak patted her shoulder for extra reassurance as he stood and told her, "We should be okay for a little while."

--&--

As Samos's SWAT team flew down the freeway on the flat bed zoomer, Norwood was talking into his cellular. As soon as whoever was on the other line finished speaking, his face went a dazzling white.

"Oh my God! Are you sure!? How far?" After another beat, Norwood turned and pushed open the back window so he could call to Samos, "Sir, we have a serious problem!"

Samos turned from his view of Jak's bus and faced Norwood in slight anger. "What!? It had better be serious."

Norwood gulped before managing to say, "The freeway isn't finished yet."

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Samos demanded.

"The choppers caught it about three miles up ahead. There's a section missing." He waved his phone around as proof.

Samos ripped open his map of the freeway and scanned the area Norwood was talking about. "But… it's on the map!" He hit the spot on the paper were the missing section was supposed to be. "It's finished on the goddamn map!"

"I guess they fell behind…" Norwood answered with a humorless shrug.

"Fuck!" Samos said, crumpling the piece of paper in his hand in frustration. "You're fired, everybody's fucking fired! How big a section?"

Norwood consulted the pilot on his phone and then answered Samos, "Fifty feet… at least."

Samos cursed again and then snapped to Norwood and the driver, "Get me closer, damnit!" Norwood nodded and they moved closer to Jak's speeding bus.

Jak hurried down the stairs as Samos motioned him to. The doors slid open and Jak leaned forward so he could hear what Samos had to say.

Trying to be calm for Jak's sake, Samos said in a low voice so only Jak could hear, "Jak, there's a gap ahead. It's big."

Jak paled, cursing his luck. "You're kidding."

Samos shook his head. "Fifty feet… it's in the next interchange… somewhere after the next turn…" Jak cursed loudly and Samos nodded in understanding.

"What do we do?" Jak asked him, having ran out of ideas moments before. Samos frowned at him, trying to think but he was almost blinded by panic.

"We gotta get them off somehow," Samos offered, looking at the pale and scared passengers on the bus with what he hoped were calm eyes.

Jak cast his blue eyes to the sky. "You know I can't."

He turned and marched up the steps, his mind whirling. Keira shut the door and knew that something was wrong. Jak's face was heavily guarded, like he had drawn a mask over it to keep what he was thinking from everyone else.

"Is it bad?" she asked, praying that it wasn't, knowing it was.

Everyone was watching him, Jak could feel it. He sighed, knowing he had no choice but to tell them the truth. "There's a gap in the road ahead. Couple of miles up."

All at once their faces fell. There were groans, fears, tears. Everyone looked at everyone else, knowing that they would be the last faces that they saw. No one was sure what to say. No one has anything to say. Well, except maybe Sig…

"You can always count on the cops, man…"

Jak turned his head and saw Keira breathing hard again as she tried to figure out a way to keep them alive. "Oh God no… well, what if I, uh, shift to neutral and keep the engine revving high?"

He shook his head slowly, thinking, thinking. "No, he'd have thought of that," he told her and Keira gave a frustrated sigh.

"Well, what then?"

They all stared at him, waiting for an answer, hoping he could save them. Jak didn't have an answer nor did he think he could save them. Frowning, he used everything in him to dig up an answer.

He found a crude one, but an answer nonetheless. "Floor it," he told Keira.

"NO!" Keira cried in disbelief.

"Yes!" Jak countered. "It's an overpass, there might be an incline! We can jump it! Floor it NOW!" Keira growled but pressed her foot harder against the pedal. The speedometer climbed to sixty.

Jak turned and made his way to the back of the bus. The passengers were silent, terrified, as he passed. He made sure he looked at each of their faces as he passed to show them that he was calm. "I want… everyone to hold onto the seat in front of them… or whatever's nearest. Heads down," he paused in his commands as he passed a woman with presents in her lap, "put that stuff under your seat."

As he passed Stephens, he asked, "Is this really going to work?" Jak paused, unsure of how to answer. He wasn't sure if they would make it, but if he said so there would be a panic.

He patted Stephens's shoulder and said, "Definitely."

He made his way over to Erol, who suddenly looked very small and very afraid. He reached down and unhooked the cuffs around his wrists.

"I didn't mean to shot that guy," Erol said softly, eyes downcast.

"Keep hold of the seat in front of you." Jak said in a not unkind voice. It said, for now, apology accepted. Jak looked out the window as he started towards Keira again and saw the signs and barriers approaching. "Everyone hold on!"

People lunged forward, gripping the seat in front of them and placing their heads in their laps. Sig withdrew a cross from beneath his Wastelander uniform and palmed it in reassurance.

--&--

Samos watched as Jak's bus zoomer pulled away from his flat bed and towards the gap. Behind him his men were saying prayers for the passengers.

The gap was getting closer and closer…

--&--

The speedometer had reached sixty eight miles now as Keira pressed her foot against the pedal. Jak came up besides her and leaned against the guardrail, watching the gap as it came into view.

Torn looked over at Erol as he muttered to himself, "I never shot anyone before… Jesus, I hope that guy's gonna be okay…" Torn looked away from him, ready to throw up. Mrs. Kamino began to cry quietly and murmurs of prayer filled the air. Stephens curled himself into the fetal position and clutched his tour guide books like a holy religious relic.

Keira's breathing hitched as they came screaming towards the gap. The speedometer had just passed seventy now and tried to continue its climb. They had barely touched seventy one when they reached the large gap.

She screamed and shut her eyes, horror making her body tremble. Jak yelled as well and pushed her body down, covering her with his own. His hands clasped around her own on the wheel to keep it going straight.

They hit the gap going seventy three. The bus went airborne. For a moment Jak felt the weightlessness of zero gravity as they were thrown into the air. Then the front of the bus started to lean forward. The front two wheels hit the pavement on the other side of the gap hard and everyone was thrown forward.

The tires didn't burst as the bus zoomer landed and it continued to move forward while the back end was still airborne. The back of the bus, the undercarriage, crashed into the concrete hard and there was a terrible sound of scraping metal, but it kept going.

The speedometer dropped fast. It passed fifty eight when the rear wheels finally landed on the road. The passengers near the back were thrown forward and some glass windows shattered. Further up a seat was ripped from its mooring, but the bus kept on rolling.

The speedometer stopped at fifty two and then climbed.

--&--

Samos and his SWAT team whopped as they watched the bus make it across.

--&--

Jak lifted himself off of Keira and looked down into her pale face. "Keira, are you alright?" he asked her, worry in his eyes.

Keira gave him a beautiful smile, color returning to her face as she spoke, "I'm okay. I'm alright." She laughed giddily. "I'm alright!"

Jak grinned and nodded to her, turning to address the passengers. "Is everyone alright?" he asked them. They looked bruised, dazed, bloody… but whole. Some answered Jak with 'yeah' while others celebrated. They whooped and hugged and high-fived. Those who had been crying where now laughing and shouting with joy. Torn reached over and gave Mrs. Kamino such a fierce hug that she almost suffocated.

"You are the man, Keira, you are the man!" Sig cried, laughing so hard his whole body moved with it. Keira grinned at him and held up one hand as a sign that she was well aware of it.

Torn grinned over at Sig as he whooped for joy. "We are way out of control." He was beaming at the burly man.

"Goddamn yes!" Sig agreed and hugged the person closest to him, Erol. The young man looked surprised, but he was too pleased to be alive to care.

The only person that hadn't moved yet was Stephens. Slowly he removed himself from his fetal position and looked around with a tired smile on his face. "I felt we would make it," he said, but no one really heard.

Jak felt a big smile bloom across his face. He turned to Keira. He noticed a small trickle of blood running down her forehead as she leaned against the chair and drew in deep breaths. He knelt down besides her like he often did, but this time he was beaming with admiration clearly on his face.

"I think you missed your calling," he told her, using his sleeve to wipe at the blood on her forehead. "You should have been a pilot." He stood again and she smiled up at him, charmed. Jak felt his cheeks heat up just slightly as he turned his eyes to the road. Then he noticed where the road led.

"Get off! Now! Get off this!" Jak motioned hastily towards the exit ramp just a few feet away.

"What…?" Keira hesitated a moment to long for Jak's liking. He grabbed the wheel and pulled a hard right, sending the passengers flying. The bus swerved sharply and turned onto an exit ramp.

--&--

Samos hurried over to the police van which Norwood was now driving. They had just gotten word that Jak had gotten off the freeway.

"Where's he going?" Samos asked to which Norwood had no answer.

--&--

As the bus zoomer exited the ramp, a sign which read 'LAX cargo area' rushed passed them as they zoomed along. Keira turned the bus into the airport gate. There the helicopters following them were forced to fly away, away from the air traffic.

"Head here," Jak ordered, pointing to the entrance to the runaway of the airport. Keira moved to obey, but suddenly a police car blocked the entrance she was heading for. She was forced to swerve to avoid it, causing the bus to turn to an exit with tire shredding spikes blocking the way. Keira saw them and turned hard right, throwing everyone to their feet. As she swerved back to the entrance the rear left tire was nicked by one of spikes, but didn't burst.

"Never a dull moment…" Keira muttered to herself as she turned into the runway, "Please God send me a dull moment…"

--&--

A cop leaned forward as Norwood drove the van zoomer to Jak's position. "He's at the airport."

Norwood sent Samos a bemused look. "The airport? There's thousands of people there…" Samos suddenly gripped and slapped Norwood's back, getting what Jak was thinking.

"That's my boy, Jak. He should be able to circle around the runways… buy us some time." Samos slapped the dashboard, amazed by Jak's brilliance.

"We can't fly in there," Norwood pointed out.

"Neither can the news boys," Samos countered and Norwood saw the light. Samos leaned forward and told him. "Back to the exit!"

Their GMC Suburban zoomer pulled up in front of the airport. A fellow SWAT member was reading a map in the backseat. "Jak can go here. There's a road there that circles the freight terminals. Should be perfect."

Samos gave Norwood a look and said without any humor in his voice, "Let's hope they built it."

--&--

Stephens looked out the window as they circled another runway. There was a frown on his face as he watched the pavement whiz past him.

"We're at the airport," he decided unhappily. He looked away from the window with disgust and Torn sent him a look that said he thought Stephens had permanently lost it.

"Yeah, so?"

Stephens shrugged. "I've already seen the airport," he explained, motioning to it. Torn stared at him, mouth agape. Stephens pouted and looked out his window.

Now Torn knew Stephens had gone made.

--&--

Samos's van zoomer followed Jak's bus zoomer into the terminals. Above them the coppers hovered. After realizing they couldn't get into the airport they turned around and flew away.

--&--

Jak's cellular went off and Keira and he both knew who it must be. Jak picked it up. "Hello."

"Very exciting, Jak," Praxis said on the other line, a chuckle in his voice. "A few close calls, but you've done all right for yourself."

"What do you want?" Jak snapped, not wanting to deal with Praxis's games right now.

"Money, Jak." Praxis's shrugged on the other end. "I wish I had some loftier purpose, but in the end I'm just like you and everyone else. I'd like large nonsequential bills in two plastic bags. Unmarked. Can you remember all that?"

"What are you telling me for?" Jak wondered.

"I want you to help me get it before it's too late," Praxis answered. "I don't like negotiators, Jak. They talk like they're your best friends, and they don't know you. Why do they mess with me, do they think I'm doing this for fun?"

"Aren't you?"

"Now, that isn't fair, Jak. You don't know how I feel about this. You don't know anything about me. They don't know anything about me," Praxis said.

"I'll tell you what they think about you. They think your some crazy ass fucker," Jak snapped, his temper rising but his voice low.

There was a long pause. "They don't think that."

"You want this money? Show me your commitment," Jak persuaded, his voice raised. "Let me get on the ground. Just me. That isn't against the rules."

"I'd like you back in ten minutes or less," Praxis said, his voice clearly showing it was an order, not a request.

"Fine."

"Nothing tricky now, Jak. You know I'm on top of your every movement. Do not _attempt_ to grow a brain." Praxis ended the conversation.

As he stuffed his phone into his pocket, Samos's GMC Suburban zoomer pulled up alongside the bus. Keira looked at them and then at Jak. She had heard enough of the conversation to put two and two together.

"So there's a plan now, right?" she asked.

Jak nodded to her. "Could be." Then he turned and faced the group of bus passengers. "Everyone sit tight. I'm getting off for a minute."

There was some consternation. Torn stood and looked at Jak harshly. "What for?" he asked.

Over him, Mrs. Kamino spoke, "Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Are you just gonna leave us here!?" Stephens asked in horror.

"I would…" Sig muttered to himself.

"Don't worry… I won't go far," Jak answered with a humorless smile on his face. He turned to Keira and addressed her, "Just keep circling. You'll be fine."

Keira looked up into his eyes and nodded. She knew there was a good chance she would never see him again, but she was going to try to be brave. A little weakly she said, "Don't forget about us, okay?"

They looked at one another for a long moment. Jak smiled softly and tenderly brushed aside her locks of blue/green hair. He'd never forget about her. He turned towards the doorway and motioned for the zoomer to come in close.

He jumped onto the truck and it moved away from the bus. Everyone on the bus was silent for a moment. Most faces are covered with fear or doubt as the silence dragged. No one spoke for many, many moments.

The host had left the party.

--&--

Jak stood on the Suburban zoomer as they chased the bus. He wished he was back on the zoomer with Keira. That why he knew if something was going wrong.

Samos came up besides him as they zoomed past news vans and other zoomers. "The choppers are gone now, Jak. Let's dump the passengers."

"No way," Jak dismissed the plan with a shake of his head. "He's ready for that." Somehow, he could not wipe the image of Keira's small, lithe body being consumed in flames. He fought a shudder.

"But how is he—" Samos began.

"I don't know how. I just know he is. He's always one step ahead of me. If we unload he'll take them out, I guarantee it." Jak saw Keira burning again and wouldn't allow anyone to think about unloading passengers until the bomb had been deactivated. Samos got the idea then.

"Where does that put us?" Samos wondered, allowing Jak to make the plan since he had none.

"I'm going to try to dismantle the bomb," was all Jak offered.

Samos actually went pale. "That's not an option," he snapped. "That's just crazy… impossible."

"What would you do if the bus was standing still?" Jak asked him, his hard eyes never leaving the bus moving ahead of them.

"Jak, it's not standing still," Samos pointed out.

--&--

In the back of the bus, Torn had approached Erol with a look of curiosity written on his face. "So what'dya do, man?"

"What!?" Erol snapped.

"Why'd ya go apeshit before?" Torn repeated, more slowly then before as if Erol might be a bit mentally challenged. "What did ya do?"

"Nothing, man. Leave me alone," Erol said more calmly this time, looking away from Torn and out the window.

"Come on!" Torn pressed. "Was it a gang thing? What?"

"Nothing!" Erol snapped before sighing a moment later. "I stole the gun, man. You know. From my cousin in Main Town."

"What for?" Torn wondered, blinking at him.

Erol gave him a sidelong glance, either being defensive or lying. "Home protection," he admitted and Torn gave him the strangest look.

In the front of the bus, Stephens and Sig were standing next to Keira as she drove. Sig leaned next to Keira, worry on his face.

"I'm telling ya, Keira, that guy's jerking off somewhere," he told the young woman and got a glare in return.

"He didn't have to get on in the first place, Sig. And… _and_ get your ass behind the yellow line!" Sig looked down and saw that he was standing on the yellow line that said DO NOT CROSS. He backed up as Keira continued, "I have faith in him."

To herself she muttered for reassurance, "I have faith." Suddenly Stephens made a choking noise and pointed in front of them.

"What's that?" He questioned and they all looked in front of themselves. Something was pulling up in front of them. That something made their eyes grow wide.

"Oh my God!" Keira gasped, watching with an unwavering gaze. "He _is _insane!" A truck zoomer had pulled in front of them. Attached to its back was a low wooden dolly. Jak was standing on the truck with his SWAT gear on as well as a headset and a bunch of tools.

He _was_ crazy.

--&--

"We're not going to be able to keep this steady for long," Samos pointed out as Jak lowered himself onto the dolly.

"I just need a few minutes. If I can't do it by then I can't do it at all," Jak explained as he made last minute adjustments to his headset.

"All right," Samos replied reluctantly.

Into his headset Jak called to his partner, "You ready, Dax?"

"All the way, buddy." Daxter replied through the headset (A/N: there you are Daxter!).

"Okay, this is it," Samos told Jak, giving him a fatherly pat on the shoulder as he began to lower himself onto the dolly. "Don't get dead." Jak give him a smile as the dolly started to move him towards the bus.

--&--/

Keira was almost panicking as she watched Jak wheel himself under the bus. "This is a really bad plan," she said out loud, her heart pounding.

"Have faith, sister," Stephens muttered, though he himself looked a little out of faith with his pale face and wide eyes.

As Jak neared he smiled at Keira, gave her the thumbs up. Keira rolled her eyes at him, her heart pounding harder then ever before.

"Oh Christ," she muttered.

"Just keep it steady." Sig suggested.

Keira grinded her teeth and lowered head. "Gee, thanks for the tip," she retorted unhappily, totally against the plan but not able to do a thing about it.

The truck slowed down as the dolly inched closer to the bus. Jak laid flat on his back as the bus approached. As he started to disappear under the bus, Keira squinted with concentration. Samos looked on, concerned. Jak looked straight up, trying to be as calm as possible as the bus covered him.

As Jak inched closer to the bomb under the bus he said into his headset, "Okay, tell them to hold here." The dolly stopped inching along.

Jak could see the bomb now. Wires were running from the timer to various detonators. There were also a few covered wires of different colors sticking in one end of the timer and out the other.

Through his headset Daxter spoke softly, "What do you see?"

"It's pretty standard." Jak described it as best as his frazzled mind could at the moment. "Timer's looped to the remote, then feeds out."

On the other end, Daxter nodded as he visualized it. "Then we gotta try to bypass the remote current with the battery. Can you find the trip wire for the remote?"

"I dunno," Jak answered, eyeing the multicolored wires. "I got several choices to choose from."

"Black and red?" Daxter guessed.

"And green." Jak added.

"Okay." Daxter said, "Listen. I'm guessing he's not going to use the standard copper for the remote. Too weak. I'd use fiber alloy. I need you to look at the wire."

"It's covered."

"I know. You need to cut the sheath off. But be careful not to cut the wire," Daxter warned, rubbing his temple with two figures, sweat pouring down his forehead openly.

"Right."

"Start with the green," Daxter suggested.

Jak had no choice but to work very slowly. He was so close to the bus that he couldn't look down at his tools. That would cause him to scarp his scalp. Instead, he was forced to feel around for the right one. He found the exacto and pulled it into his palm. Slowly, very slowly, he started to scarp away at the green wire.

As he worked, the bus hit a small bump. Jak slipped and went still as sweat dripped down his face. He looked at the knife. It went halfway through the wire. Very, very, very slowly he pulled it out. He scraped more at the sheath, revealing a silverfish wire: not copper.

"Bull's-eye," Jak muttered in triumph into the headset.

"Great," Daxter said in a voice as equally as triumphant as Jak's was, maybe more so. "Now clip on the battery and run it to the lead wire."

Jak palmed the battery, clipped one end to the silver wire with the alligator clip. Now he had to search for the lead wire. He found it, but when he did a cloud of frustration crossed his features.

"I can't bypass it. It'll fire."

"Collapsible circuit," Daxter muttered.

"Yeah. Shit!" Jak's face twisted as he fought the urge to kick something. Under this bus, it wasn't a good idea. "This thing is airtight."

--&--

As Daxter tried to think of a way to deactivate the bomb, Ashlin strode into his room. She slapped a picture of a very familiar man on his desk.

"Howard Praxis, Slums P.D., bomb squad, retired to the Bazaar District in 1989 when a small charge left him without an eye and half a face." She grinned.

Daxter reached down and picked up the picture. The man who had held a bomb detonator to his face stared back up at him in Krimzon Guard uniform.

Daxter held the picture up in the air like it was a prized trophy. "That's out scumbag!" Into his headset he called to Jak, "Jak, we found him!"

"We can be there inside of fifteen minutes," Ashlin said, handing Daxter's his flak jacket. She already had her own on and looked ready to take on the world.

As Daxter put on the jacket he said into the headset, "Jak, get out of there and sit tight. We're gonna go after the source. We'll have this case closed by noon!"

"Be careful, Dax." Jak warned, but Daxter had already turned off his headset and followed Ashlin out the door.

--&--

"Samos, pull me out!" Jak called into his headset once Daxter had ended their conversation. He was glad to be getting out from under the bus.

"Roger that, kid," Samos's voice filtered through the headset. "Hang on."

As Jak waited to be pulled out from under the bus, the tire that had been scraped by the spikes earlier lost a piece of its outer rubber. It was sent flying into the dolly's wheel which was caught and stopped. Jak screamed as the dolly was almost pulled out from underneath him.

The cable of the dolly rushed past him, scuttled over the pavement, sparked, whipped around. It headed for the rear wheel. Jak knew that if the cable was sucked under the tire it would be over for him.

He reached for the cable to pull it back, but it was too late. The cabled hit the tire and was sucked under it in a flash. Jak didn't even have time to scream.

Jak and the dolly were sent careening towards the tire…

(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)

**Author's Notes:** Oh, a cliffhanger. So what's gonna happen to Jak? How about Daxter? He's going after Praxis… alone. Guess we'll have to wait won't we? Promise the next chapter will be out sooner.

**Next Chapter:** In which Keira is anxious, Jak is pissed, Daxter is in trouble, and Praxis calls all the shots… or so he thinks.

Reviews

**Specter Van Baron:** Thanks, man. And hey, don't give up on Jak IV. Since Jak III (the official one) is coming our in November I might do a Jak IV fic based on the events that take place in the game. If it inspires me, that is.

**Snowy Fox:** Greatest Jak parody? beams Are there many? I think the Speed 2: Cruise Control sucked. Though I did like the one line Sandra Bullock said about Jack in there. "You know what he gave me for our anniversary? Pepper spray. I thought it was perfume. I was the hospital for a week!" It creaked me. So Jack and Annie, you know?

**Glorfindel**** Silverleaf:** I knew your name sounded familiar! I couldn't help but think LotR. Thanks for the compliment and support!

**Monkeypants** Thank ya kindly. I'm glad that I got you to see Speed. It was a great movie that was unappreciated by those damn critics. Much like Van Helsing, which was a stupendous movie. I'm buying it as soon as it comes out.

**Krimzon-Yakkow026:** XD Glad you're enjoying it so much. Truthful, one of my worries was that some of the Jak II characters wouldn't fit their Speed roles. I had this horrible fear that it would seem like I was tweaking their personalities to fit the roles I cast them for. Glad to see it's not a problem! P

**Kizna**** 1200:** pokes back why hello! Thanks for reading my story! You should definitely rent Speed and check it out! Maybe if enough people start watching it over again that'll be enough incentive for that French director dude to make a Speed 3? Fat chance I know, but don't ruin the dream!

_"Very occasionally, if you really pay attention, life doesn't suck."_ –Joss Whedon

-Lizzy Rebel


	5. He's Serious

**Title:** Speed: Haven City Style

**Chapter:** 5/6

**Disclaimer:** I don't even own the plot…

**Keywords:** Pissed-off! Jak, Worried! Keira, and Poor! Daxter

**Couples:** some Jak/Keira

**Chapter Rating**: PG-13 for Jak's well versed knowledge of curses and some violence

**Genre(s):** Action/Drama/slight Romance

**Feedback**: of please, of please, oh please!

**Timeline:** same time, same place

**Author's Notes:** I actually had this ready to be posted last week (yay non-laziness) but alas God was against me. I was loaded with homework and reports ALL do on the same day so there was no Internet time for me. On top of that we're starting Proofs in Geo (die you goddamn Math, die!!!!) so I've been staying after school every day to try to figure out what the hell is going on. School is going to be the death of me. Period.

**Story notes:** poor Daxter… will the guy never get a break?

(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)

_Last time on Speed: Haven City Style_

The cable of the dolly rushed past him, scuttled over the pavement, sparked, whipped around. It headed for the rear wheel. Jak knew that if the cable was sucked under the tire it would be over for him.

He reached for the cable to pull it back, but it was too late. The cabled hit the tire and was sucked under it in a flash. Jak didn't even have time to scream.

Jak and the dolly were sent careening towards the tire…

_This time on Speed: Haven City Style_

Chapter Five- He's Serious 

"God!" Keira screamed as the bus jumped, like it had run over a bus…

"What happened!?" Stephens demanded as he righted himself after falling from when the bus had jumped. "Did we hit him? Is he…? What?"

"He's not behind us!" Erol called from the back of the bus, craning his neck out the back window to see if he could spot Jak coming forth from the back of the bus in a bloody mess.

Keira and Sig looked at one another in horror. Dear Lord, they must be dragging him! They were dragging Jak in the tires!

Sig dived for the access panel in the center of the bus. As sweat began to dribble down his face, he began unscrew the latch.

--&--

Samos's zoomer kept up alongside of the bus so that the Krimzon Guard chief could try to locate Jak. The bus was moving too fast for him to see anything.

Oh God, if Jak was dead he's never forgive him.

--&--

As Jak rushed towards the tire of the bus zoomer he tried to get a grip on the undercarriage, but he couldn't find a purchase. Without a choice, Jak grabbed a screwdriver from his flak jacket and rammed in into the undercarriage.

He stopped moving and the dolly was yanked out from under him. It was crushed by the wheel and Jak was almost sick thinking about how it could've been him.

Jak held onto the screwdriver as hard as he could. A dark liquid sprayed onto his face and down his shirt. Jak coughed as its smell invaded his nose. He reached out and grabbed a hydraulic line so he could pull himself away from the spray. His shoes scraped against the pavement going fifty miles an hour. Jak looked around, saw a light coming from the hole in the bus, just three feet away. He reached out for it, but there was no way for him to make it.

"Hey!" Jak shouted, hoping to grab someone's attention within in the bus.

Then Sig stuck his head through the hole and reached out for him. "Can you reach my hand, cherry?" he demanded, stretching his limbs as far as they could go. Jak did same, but he still fell short.

Sig withdrew his head and looked around at the passengers in the bus. "Hold my legs!" he demanded and they rushed obeyed.

Torn and Erol reached out and held firmly onto Sig's left legs while Stephens and Mrs. Kamino went for his right. Sig put his head back through the hole and with his new leverage he reached for Jak.

"Come on!" He grabbed Jak roughly by the collar and hauled him. Jak released his screwdriver and grabbed Sig's shoulder. Slowly, agonizingly so, Sig pulled Jak into the bus. Jak hunched over, rasping in pain.

When he could find the breath to speak again, he looked over at Sig and nodded. "Thanks," He managed, unable to say anything else as he drew in deep breaths.

Are you okay?" Torn asked, giving Jak a friendly shake on the shoulder. Jak managed to nod, though his body felt like a paper doll.

"Any luck with the bomb?" Stephens asked him and Jak nodded again.

"Yeah, it didn't go off." There was no humor in those words, but simple truth. Jak pushed himself to his feet.

Sig stood as well and dusted himself off, oddly smiling. "You may be psycho, man, but you go some big round balls."

Jak blinked at him before patting his shoulder awkwardly. "That's very… gross, Sig…" Sig laughed, releasing the tension in his shoulders.

"Can't even pay the guy a complement," Sig muttered to Erol and Torn as Jak wearily made his way over to Keira.

Jak moved over to her and said softly, "How are you doing?" He noticed that her face was pale and her lips trembling. He touched her shoulder lightly.

Keira twisted her torso, her eyes burning with rage, and she hit his chest… several times. "You scared the shit out of me, Jak!" She hit a pointed object on his flak jacket and pressed her finger to her lips in slight pain. She hadn't hurt him at all and the fact that she had been scared shitless made Jak feel slightly, oddly, warm, "Other than that I'm pretty lousy." She paused a brought her finger to her nose. "What's that smell?"

Jak's eyes went wide as he realized what exactly had dribbled onto him beneath the bus, "It's… gas…"

"We're leaking gas!?" Keira demanded in horror.

Jak shrugged and leaned against the guardrail. "We are now," he muttered and Keira got that he had done it.

Keira leaned forward and looked at the gas gauge. It was dropping, barely perceptibly, but dropping. "What you felt like you needed another challenge?"

Jak watched as Samos stared at him in surprise—clearly happy to see him alive—before he laughed. He gave Jak a thumbs up before his vehicle parted from his.

--&--

Daxter's car and another unmarked one fired down the street with their attendants blazing. They were only five minutes away from Praxis's house.

--&--

Jak and Keira eyed the gas gauge nervously. They would be running out of fuel very soon, they both knew that. They had to do something. Or rather… Jak had to do something.

Into his walkie talkie, Jak called to Samos, "Samos? Can you get a fuel truck to pace us here? We're losing gas."

"I'll see what I can find," Samos answered back. "How much time?"

"I dunno. Ten minutes. It's not good." Was the answer.

"Is it going to work?" Keira asked him, her eyes locked on the gas gauge as it slowly depleted.

"I don't know." Jak answered her, unable to lie. To himself he muttered, "Come on, Daxter. Save my life… please."

--&--

Daxter and the others pulled up quietly across from Praxis's house. He and Ashlin emerged from his car and two other SWAT members came from the second one. They moved to the front of the house in standard formation. They stopped at the windows by the garage. The Venetian blinds were pulled down so there was no way for them to see in.

Daxter scanned the house slowly, making out the plan. He motioned for the two SWAT members to go around the back and he and Ashlin hurried around the side.

On the side of the house they saw a door. Ashlin reached out a hand to twist the knob, but Daxter quickly grabbed her wrist, shaking his head. He motioned to her to go around the back, which she obeyed.

He moved over to the window to give it a try. It gave in. From what Daxter could tell it was clean, no wires. He climbed in slowly, pulling his wounded leg in last. He gently landed on the floor and looked around at the clean, white house.

Daxter moved through the living room, heading for the garage. Ashlin came silently in through the back window and joined Daxter. She motioned for the two other SWAT cops to wait outside. She and Daxter both started converging on the garage, their guns raised and ready.

Daxter looked down at his leg just in time to see it trip an electric eye in the doorway. He noticed that the electric eye was wired to something… further in the distance a red light went on.

Daxter looked over at Ashlin, knowing very well there was no point in trying to warn her. Her face was calm, her breathing just a little rugged, and Daxter felt his face go neutral.

They stared hard at each other knowing it'd be the last thing they saw.

The explosion ripped apart the windows, sending the other SWAT cops flying forward, wounded. Their twin moans sounded through the air as the sound of the blast started to die down.

The now shredded Venetian flapped in the gentle breeze, barely caught on fire…

--&--

Jak's cellular rang loudly and he grinned over at Keira before picking it up. "Daxter! Tell me good news, man!" There was a long pause on the other end and Jak almost released the phone in shock. Somehow he already knew.

"I'm sorry, Jak," It was Praxis's calm, collected voice on the other end. "He didn't make it."

Jak's face twisted in raw rage. "You FUCK!" His boot hit the bus so hard it shook. Jak's hands clenched into fists he wished he could pound into Praxis's goddamn face. Keira looked over at him in concern.

--&--

Praxis stood with the phone pressed to his ear. He walked over to the window of his room and opened the blinds. He stared down at Pershing Square near the Race Stadium.

He never at his house at all.

"It was the watch that led him to me, wasn't it? It felt a little hammy to me, building the bomb with my precious retirement gift. But I figured a sign that said 'I'm Howard Praxis' would be pushing it." Praxis chuckled softly.

--&--

Jak leaned against the guardrail next to Keira, flexing his muscles in an attempt to control his rage. "I'm going to rip your fucking spine out, I swear," he whispered dangerously low, picturing Daxter's face as it burned.

"You'll do as you're told!" Praxis snapped. "Now Daxter's gone. Just accept it. Jak, we both know he was the brains of your particular operation. You're not gonna bet me. You're gonna pay me all my dollars. Otherwise you, the wildcat, and every innocent soul on that bus is gonna end up just like your friend. Now pay attention! Are you listening?"

Jak's hand clenched around the phone so tight he could've broken it. Softly, barely controlling his anger, he answered, "Yes."

"Good. Tell them then drop point is at Pershing Square. There's a garbage bag on the northeast corner. Dump the bags and leave. I don't show up until your people are gone and I don't disarm until I'm clear. Getting on towards eleven o'clock, Jak. And I think it's gonna be a _beautiful_ day."

Jak hung up. For a moment he was completely silent and unmoving. Keira started to speak his name when Jak suddenly bashed the phone against the guardrail, furious. He threw the pieces away, gripping the guardrail so tight he could've ripped it off. He kicked it once, twice, a third time before he gritted his teeth and pressed his head against the cold metal, seething.

"Jak?" Keira called softly, feeling immense sorrow for his loss but still needing him to be strong. "Jak?"

Jak couldn't say anything. His rage was too powerful for such things. He rapped his fists against the guardrail, imaging them to be Praxis's face, until they both ran with crimson liquid.

"You just cool it, okay?" Keira ordered, grabbing the waist of his jeans and pulling him towards her as he tried to rip the guardrail off its hinges. "We're scared. We need you. _I_ need you… with a clear head. I know this guy's hurting you and I'm sorry, but we still have a problem here so stop doing the asshole dance and be part of the solution."

Jak still stared out into space, but Keira had drawn the fire out. His eyes were lost and confused as he looked over at her and smiled winningly.

"We're gonna die," he told her without any humor in his grim voice.

"We go this far," she pointed out. Jak still smiled down into her face, his eyes traveling down to her seat where her Haven City University sweatshirt rested. He knelt down and touched the outline of the wildcat sown there.

"I'll be damned…" he muttered. Keira looked at him in confusion but Jak didn't answer her look. Finally he spoke again, daubing her brow, and saying his words in a soft voice, "You… go to the University of Haven City?"

"Yeah," Keira answered, confused and not able to think about what he was getting at because the warmth from his hand was clouding her brain.

"Good football team," Jak told her, his eyes still staring at the wildcat picture on her sweatshirt.

Now Keira was completely confused, Jak's hands or no, "Yeah…"

"Heaven City Wildcats. They had nine straight wins last year," Jak muttered, putting the pieces together. Praxis had called Keira a wildcat, he had been too angry to listen…

"I… ah… wouldn't know…" Keira mumbled as softly as he, confused to his sudden interest in her schooling.

Jak smiled softly at her and her confusion, amused at it, before he answered so softly she could scarcely hear him, "He can see you."

Keira's head popped up to look around and she began to ask him where, but Jak shushed her with a shake of his head. He motioned for her to stay still and act like she knew nothing. He stood and leaned over the guardrail, against the windshield. He titled his head up to look at the large convex mirror that had a view of the whole bus. He could see the thin wires and the red light.

A camera…

--&--

Jak and Keira were on a small black and white screen in Praxis's room. His eye scanned them from time to time as well as the other TVs it sat between. Finally, Praxis's eye came back to rest on black and white TV.

Jak had knelt besides Keira once more…

--&--

"He called you a wildcat before," Jak explained to her. "I didn't even pick up on it. Bastard has a camera right up in your face. He can see the whole damn bus. He's been playing me from minute one…"

"He's looking at me?" Keira asked in shock, suddenly feeling violated. "Can he hear me?"

"Doesn't look like it. He's just watching," Jak answered, glancing up at the mirror before looking back into Keira's eyes.

"What do I do?" Keira wondered, glanced up at the camera, but Jak ushered her eyes back to his.

"Nothing. Act scared."

She sent him a humorless and smile and asked, "What's my motivation?" When, from her trembling lips and pale features, she was plenty scared.

Jak walked down the aisle, speaking into his walkie talkie, "Samos… Samos… are you there? Can you hear me?"

"Jak," Mrs. Kamino said as he passed her. "How long can we keep circling the airport?"

Jak held up a finger to shush her as Samos came on the other line. "Yeah, go ahead, Jak," crackled his voice.

"Samos, I know about Daxter. Listen, there's no time. Is that news van still around?... Good. It's time for a turnaround."

--&--

Samos and his fellow SWAT cops hurried over the news vans that had their cameras pointed at the bus. The police rushed forward and asked for the cameramen to turn off their equipment for a moment.

Samos addressed one of the crewmembers, "Krimzon Guard SWAT. We need this unit. Can you broadcast on a UHF frequency?"

The crew man blinked in confusion but answered truthfully, "Sure."

"Good," Samos said with a nod of this head. "There's a signal coming from that bus. Find it." The crew man stepped into his van zoomer and started to turn the dials on a large computer. After a few more clicks on the dials, the picture of the bus appeared on the screen.

"Good." Samos pressed the nearest video into the dock of the VCR and ordered, "Record over this." The crew man nodded and tapped the 'record' button. As he did so an angry anchorman stormed in, waving his arms.

"Hey! Hey, this is private property! You can't just waltz in here and take it!" He waved his arms franticly, but Samos barely spared him a glance.

"Yeah, why don't you call a cop?"

--&--

Jak stood near the front of the large zoomer looking at the passengers of the bus. They were tense, he could tell, and very, very tired. He wanted to give them reassurance, but he didn't have it in him anymore.

"Remember, no big movements," Jak said quietly, but loud enough so everyone on the bus could understand. He still didn't know if Praxis could hear them or not. "Just looked whipped."

"That ain't gonna be too hard," Sig muttered.

Everyone on the bus tried their best to look casually despondent. Jak leaned against Keira and eyed the gas gauge without making large movements. He frowned at it as he watched it dropped to the 'E' sign.

Was it picking up speed?

--&--

Underneath the bus, the screwdriver started to loosen and the fuel spilled out faster.

--&--

Samos and his team, along with the crewman, watched the weary faces of the hostages record on the video.

--&--

Keira watched as the gas gauge dropped to about a quarter tank. "Jak…" she said quietly, grabbing his attention.

Jak looked down at her, trying not to make any movements as he answered softly, "What is it?" Keira's face was etched in worry and something about it bothered Jak.

"Our leak has sprung a leak. We gotta get off," she whispered, watching as the gauge continued to drop rapidly.

Noticing it as well, Jak brought the walkie talkie up to his mouth slowly, "Samos? Fuel?"

"Five minutes," Samos answered back softly, knowing he had to keep his voice down or risk ruining the plan.

Mrs. Kamino gasped as her purse slid noiselessly to the ground. She stared at it, wondering if she should reach down and pick it up. She continued to squirm nervously, unnoticed by anyone.

Jak shook his head. "Not enough time. Run the tape… we have to unload," Jak ordered.

"We've only got a minute of—"

"Do it!"

--&--

"Run it. Run it on a loop," Samos ordered the crewman and he obeyed without question, tapping the buttons that would loop the tape and play it over and over and over again.

It was their only hope…

--&--

Inside Praxis's loft the image on his small black and white TV blanked out for a moment before the looped picture appeared. In the background Praxis flushed his toilet and zipped up his fly.

He took his seat and looked at the TV that showed him the bus he held hostage. Chuckling, he hit it with the wire of his phone.

--&--

Samos and the SWAT team pulled alongside the bus, preparing to unload the passengers. Their faces are set with grim determination. They knew they would get these people off.

As they did so more rubber began to peel off of the tire. Any second it would pop…

--&--

Jak strode to the door calling, "Okay, Keira." The young woman flicked open the doors using the small lever besides her.

Samos tossed Jak a heavy 2-by-2 and a strong rope, calling out, "Rig the gas pedal and stirring wheel."

--&--

Praxis watched the black and white TV. All the passengers on the bus were quiet and calm.

--&--

As the passengers prepared to get off the bus, the rear tire's rub flapped dangerously against the pavement…

--&--

Jak stood on the back step, holding his arms out for Mrs. Kamino. As she moved down the steps towards the plank Samos and Jak had placed between the truck and the bus he could feel a sense of dread within him. Something told him to get these people off the bus as fast as he could. He pushed Mrs. Kamino into Norwood's arms and held out his own for the next passenger.

"Next!" He cried and looked over at the woman driving the bus while trying to rig it with the items he had given her. "Keira, how you doing!?"

"I'm doing!" Keira answered, rope caught between her teeth.

--&--

The TV of the bus was still calm and quiet in Praxis's room.

--&--

Jak helped Torn across the bridge and then reached for the last passenger to unload, Stephens. Stephens looked at Jak once, a small smile on his face, before placing his foot on the plank to get over to the truck…

--&--

The tread of the left rear wheel peeled off completely and spun out of control.

--&--

Keira gasped as the wheel was wrenched from her grasp. Despite her effort to regain control of the bus, it swerved away from the truck.

Stephens panicked when he saw truck moving away from him. Unsure of what to do he jumped from truck and landed on the plank, his feet scraping against the pavement. As he jumped Jak tried to grab him, but he missed and Stephens was on his own.

Sig reached out and grabbed Stephens's arms. He pulled him up into the truck just as his foot would've gotten caught in the rear wheel of the truck. Sig patted him on the back and Stephens gave Sig a smile filled with relief.

They—and the other passengers—speeded away from Jak and Keira still stuck on the bus.

--&--

Keira screamed for Jak as she fought to regain control of the bus. The bus veered for the terminals once more despite her best efforts.

Jak came up besides Keira as they watched the bus enter the terminals. "Oh no… Jak…" Keira whispered and managed to turn the bus back onto the runway, even though it took all her strength to do so.

"Wedge down the pedal! Hurry!" he shouted to her. They were no longer in an empty runway, he knew. It wouldn't be long before they ran into an actual plane.

He reached to the middle of the bus and picked up the 3x6 floor panel he had taken off the floor to see the bomb earlier. Jak maneuvered the floor panel down the hole, letting it out on the length of rope Samos had given him. The other end of the rope was tied to a seat support. The edge of the panel bounced off the pavement and sparked.

Keira finished tying off the steering wheel and wedging down the gas pedal. "Done," she called to him.

At the same time they both heard an eerie choking sound. Then there was silence. They looked at each other in horror. A single thought passing between both their minds.

Out of gas.

--&--

The speedometer dropped. 58… 57

--&--

Keira rushed from the driver's seat and hurried over to Jak. He reached out and helped her down into the hole and onto the panel.

--&--

The bus careened towards a lone jet on the runway. It was empty save for the driver of the tow truck. It had to be stripped down for repairs.

--&--

Under the bus, the panel sparked as it scrapped its metal protection against the pavement. Keira climbed down onto it, waiting for Jak.

Jak raised his head and looked around the bus one last time. The rope and the 2x4 were holding. Then he saw the wings of the jet came crashing through the windshield. It nearly decapitated him but Jak managed to dunk into the hole with Keira and dodge it. Keira wrapped her arms around his shoulders and Jak hooked one arm around her waist, the other holding the rope.

He released the rope and hugged Keira to him.

From beneath of shower of sparks, Jak and Keira came flying out of the bus. They flew so fast they didn't dare open their eyes. They just clung to one another.

--&--

The rope loosened on the steering wheel and released it…the bus zoomer veered off towards the airplane hanger.

--&--

Jak and Keira skidded to a halt after crashing into a large group of soft orange cones. They blinked at one another before sitting up to see what happened to the bus. They watched as it whizzed by them towards…

--&--

…An empty DC10 cargo plane being towed away by a tow truck. The bus speeded towards it, not stopping but slowing down…

--&--

The speedometer plunged to fifty from the loss of fuel.

--&--

A red light on the main bomb flickered on. Then it went out. The bus exploded…

--&--

The bus exploded while rolling at a healthy forty nine miles an hour. Whatever part of it could still roll plowed into the DC10, which exploded as well. The two machines were nothing more then a huge fireball and a shower of metal.

--&--

Keira screamed and Jak groaned as the fire rocked them. They dived to the ground once more to protect themselves from the heat of the fire. Jak covered Keira with his own body. When the debris finally stopped raining on them, they sat up again.

Keira started at the flaming carcass with parted lips, but Jak was staring at her. Even though she had black soot covering her face and cuts all over her body, he thought her to be the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. The strongest, the bravest, the most perfect woman ever…

She turned her head and looked at him, blushing lightly. Jak looked over handsome with the fire playing across his features… and he looked so very strong that she wanted to lay in his arms forever. He was… perfect…

"Are you alright?" he asked her, touching the small cut on her forehead.

Keira nodded. "Yes," she answered in a breathy voice.

They stared at each other. Keira noticed Jak still hadn't gotten off of her, but she didn't voice any protests. She didn't have any. The moment between them was intimate… Keira was about ready to burst into tears.

"You're not going to say anything mushy on me, are you?" she asked, a smile covering her pink lips.

Jak blinked at her, the romantic moment ruined when he realized they were both dirty and still in the airport. "What? No."

Jak helped Keira to her feet. For a moment she fell against him, but righted herself quickly enough. Together they walked over to the ambulance in the distance. They both had smiles on.

"Relationships based on extreme circumstances never last," Keira joked lightly, not for a moment—not when it felt so right against Jak's side—believing it. "I've read extensively on this."

Jak smiled down at her, looping his arm around her shoulder, also knowing she was joking. He knew as well as she did it couldn't be true when he felt complete with her curled against him. "You thought that was intense? I do this everyday." He paused and grimaced for a moment. "I think I broke my spleen."

The ambulance rushed over to them and medics popped out and started patching them up. Keira was still talking to Jak when Samos strode over to them.

"How you two doing?" Samos asked them. Jak and Keira looked at each other, almost laughing. Then they looked back at Samos as if to 'eh'.

Samos shook his head and placed his hands on head in exasperation. "Well, maybe I'll be a nice guy and let you have the rest of the day off."

"Oh boy," Keira muttered.

"Oh, Samos, this is Keira." Jak took Keira's hand and pulled her slightly closer to him. "Keira, this is Captain Samos MacMahon."

Samos smiled down at her, noting the way Jak held her hand protectively, and the way the young SWAT cop looked at her. "Hi," he said softly, an affectionate smile tugging his lips.

"Nice to meet you," Keira said smiling slightly, just a tiny bit embarrassed.

There was an awkward silence that followed, kinda tense and kinda cool. The kind you get when you introduce your girlfriend to your father for the first time.

Then Norwood broke it, running over to Samos with a phone in his hand. "It's him, sir. And he wants to know when he's getting his money."

Jak and Keira looked at one another, their mouths falling slightly open. Praxis was still asking for his money now that he didn't have any hostages to hold captive?

Samos growled and ripped the phone from Norwood's hands, saying out loud to himself, "That son of a bitch! I'll tell him what he can do with—"

Keira and Jak got it at the same time. Jak reached out and grabbed the arm that held the phone and said softly to Samos, "He's doesn't know it blew up…" He looked hard into Samos's eyes and willed the plan into his head.

Samos stared at him for a moment, stone faced. Then his eyes widened and he slowly brought the phone to his ear, "Twenty minutes."

(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)

**Author's Notes: **Yes, I killed Daxter. Yes, and I'd kill him again, too! Mwhahahaha… seriously though his character is supposed to do in the script and the movie and I've swore to be ever truthful to both.

**Next Chapter: **in which the story ends, there is a train, Keira becomes a victim, Jak gets extremely pissed, and Praxis doesn't go down without a fight!

Reviews

**Glorfindel Silverleaf:** Awwwww! How sweet! laps up the praise you can never give an author too much praise you know! XD Anyone I'm glad you're enjoying this story. I'm having a fun time writing it!

**Specter Von Baron:** Thank you. You have been my inspiration for so long. And never give up hope… an author's mind works in mysterious ways…

**Hellmouth2:** as you can see I did kill Daxter. Sorry! I had considered doing the whole eco thing, but then I remembered my promise to be true to the movie and script and stuff. Besides, that wouldn't be fair to Ashlin, now.

**Krimzon-Yakkow026:** You have no idea how hard it is for me to find someone you likes _Speed_ as half as much as me! Brethren! embraces If you ever get the chance, look at the 5 stars edition of _Speed_. The commentary on that thing is hilarious!

**Quick-demon:** Hullo wonderful new review! I totally understand about JavaScript, not only that I know computers can be bitches! I have AOL; it's like evil incarnate or something!

**FlutFlutLuver:** Hmm… I love the Flut Flut, too! Sucks they couldn't bring it to the future with them… shrug of well! So here's the second to last chapter, you've arrived just in time!

_"When life gives you lemons go buy some apples."_

-Lizzy Rebel


	6. Pop Quiz

**Title:** Speed: Haven City Style

**Chapter:** 6/6

**Disclaimer:** I don't even own the plot…

**Keywords:** kissing, Jak/Keira, PGA (Praxis gets ass-kicking)

**Couples:** major Jak/Keira

**Chapter Rating**: PG-13 for Jak and Praxis bad boy language and violence

**Genre(s):** Action/Drama/Romance

**Feedback**: falls to her knees I am begging you!

**Timeline:** same time, same place

**Author's Notes:** w00t-ege! The finally chapter has arrived. After a good few months of me being lazy, you being annoyed, and Daxter being unlucky, the end of S:HCS has arrived. Aren't ya'all excited? silence okay… This is a chapter I got out actually on time! Yay! Let's all be proud of the author and her non-laziness!

**Story notes:** kissing, kissing, kissing!

(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)

Chapter Six- Pop Quiz 

The SWAT team was finalizing their preparation in Pershing Square just outside the Race Stadium. Undercover cops moved here and there, signaling to each other. On top of a large hotel, the Baltimore, snipers took their positions and waited, their guns loaded and ready.

An ambulance pulled up besides a barbershop without their sirens wailing. Jak stepped out. He hadn't allowed the scar on his arm or on his side to be patched up because there wasn't time. His once white shirt was now gray with the sweat he had worked up and he looked exhausted. He signaled to Keira within the ambulance to sit tight until he came back. Because she was still getting her wounds bandaged, Keira didn't complain.

Jak hurried towards the small barbershop where Samos was setting up his command post to wait out Praxis. He glanced back at the ambulance once before entering the small hair salon.

Keira smiled at the doctors as they finished patching up her wounds. As they returned to their seats in the front of the car, she stepped outside. She didn't feel like sitting in any form of vehicle after what had just happened to her.

She watched Jak's retreating back, her face etched in worry.

--&--

Howard Praxis parted his blinds slowly and peered out onto Pershing Square with a smile on his features. He watched as a garbage truck pulled up next to the northeast trashcan. A cop dressed as a garbage man walked over to the trashcan and dropped two plastic bags into them before driving away.

Praxis looked around the square more. He watched as a SWAT member dunked into a doorway on the opposite side of the street and he saw a sniper crouching low on the roof. He chuckled to himself and headed for the door. He stopped as he passed the small black and white TV that showed the bus still circling the airport.

"It's too bad, Jak. You probably would've made a good cop," Praxis muttered, smiling at the TV. Just as he walked away he noticed something that had him frowning in sudden anger.

Mrs. Kamino dropped her purse on the TV screen. The TV glitched and the purse was suddenly back in her hands… it fell again and returned back to her hands moments later.

A scream rose up in his throat…

--&--

Jak, Samos, and Norwood stared nervously out of the storefront.

--&--

Keira watched the barbershop Jak was in. She could see him, but he wasn't looking at her. She took this time to admire his handsome, strong features and smiled softly. Jak had asked her to stay in the ambulance instead of going to the hospital, saying he had something important to ask her.

_Maybe on a date?_ Keira thought hopefully, even though it was kind of odd after all they had been through together for the thought of date to get her flustered. A dreamy look took over her eyes and she didn't notice the cops running to and fro, trying to keep curious pedestrians back.

There was a tap on her shoulder and Keira turned her head and looked into the calm, trained face of a SWAT cop. "Miss, we can't have you this close, we need you to move back."

"But Jak—" Keira protested, frowning slightly. She remembered very clearly Jak telling her to stay near the ambulance Well, he had actually said stay _inside_ the hovercar, but there was no way she was going to stay in any form of vehicle for a good day or so.

"Officer Traven," the SWAT cop agreed with another nod of his head. "Asked that you be brought out of harm's way. Please, this way, miss."

Keira sighed, pleased that Jak seemed that concerned with her safety. She smiled dreamily up at the SWAT cop as he gently took her arm and led her away.

Howard Praxis smiled back…

--&--

Jak was aggravated as he watched the garbage can stand alone on the corner without any signs of movement. Did Praxis know something was up?

"He's running a little late," Norwood muttered besides him, pressing a pair of binoculars to his eyes to get a better look at the garbage can.

Jak looked at his watched and saw it read two minutes after eleven. He shook his head, knowing something was off. "He's not late."

"What?" Norwood asked, turning his eyes away from the binoculars to look at Jak with confusion in his eyes.

"He's never late," Jak repeated, the feeling of something being wrong settling into his stomach.

"That money hasn't moved," Norwood muttered to himself and Jak, looking back at the can. "We got two hundred eyes on that can. And there's a homing beacon _in_ the money bag. We'd know if he moved it. He's covered."

Jak looked over at the tracking machine set up on a wooden table. "Turn it on," he snapped, realizing something.

"What for? He's not—" Norwood began to protest.

"Do it!"

Norwood sighed, but flipped the slim switch on the machine. It lit up and Norwood's eyes widened. The white light that symbolized the money blinked off and on as it moved across the screen.

"Shit…" Norwood muttered.

Jak wheeled around and bolted for the can.

"Jak!" Samos cried, but the young man had already dashed across the street.

--&--

Jak dodged the traffic as he made his way across the street to the garbage can. He reached it and yanked it from the floor. He looked into a dark hole leading to a utility access tunnel.

"Son of bitch…" Jak muttered.

He placed his hands on either side of the hole and dropped into it. As he landed gently on the ground he heard the distinct sound of feet hitting the linoleum only a few paces ahead of him. He pulled his gun from his waistband and followed the sound.

He could hear someone running down the tunnel, the two bags of money in their hands. Jak couldn't see who it was—in the dim light their body was cast in shadows. But he knew it had to be Praxis…

Jak unlocked the safety of his gun and drew a bead. "Freeze! Turn around." He aimed the trigger at the back of Praxis's head, moments away from pulling the trigger. He thought of Daxter and his face clenched.

Praxis stopped running, but didn't turn around. His back was heaving from his run.

Jak clenched his teeth together as a raw anger overtook him. "Pop quiz, asshole. I have a hair trigger aimed at your head and I'm in a real shitty mood. What do you do? Turn around. TURN AROUND!"

Slowly, Praxis obeyed but still didn't say anything. As he turned his face came into the light and Jak could see him…

It was Keira… and she was terrified.

As Jak stared at her in horror, incredulous, Keira dropped the money bags and slowly reached down for the jacket around her torso. She opened it and Jak gave a view of the ten pounds of C-4 strapped to her chest.

Jak realized what was going on and his gun lowered just slightly as his mouth opened wide. "Oh no…" he managed.

"I'm sorry…" Keira said so softly that for a moment Jak doubted her heard her.

An emergency door on the side of tunnel opened with a bang and Praxis stepped out with a deadman's stick caught between his fingers. "Be prepared. That's the boy scout's marching song." He waved the stick.

"I'm sorry, Jak," Keira said, more loudly this time, just to be certain he had heard her. Jak shook his head in disbelief.

"What are you doing to do, Jak?" Praxis wondered idly, flipping a lock of Keira's hair just to make Jak's blood boil. "I don't think you can shoot her…"

"Let her go," Jak said through clenched teeth, his gun caught so tight in his fingers they began to bleed.

Praxis looked down at Keira, who had lowered her head to fight back her tears, and pretended to consider it. Finally he shook his head. "No… I don't think I'm gonna do that."

With his other hand he dropped a large bag at Keira's feet, who flinched at the slight sound. "Fill it." As Keira bent down to obey, Praxis addressed Jak, "I think Daxter would be disappointed seeing as how we're right back to where we started."

Jak's rage exploded. "Let her go! You got the money! Take it and walk!" He moved forward a foot, motioning to the bag of money Keira was filling, but Praxis waved the detonator and he jumped back. "Let her go!"

"You still don't get it, Jak," Praxis said, looking down at Keira as she continued to fill the bag, biting her lip until it bleed. "The beauty of it. A bomb is made to explode; that's its meaning, its purpose. Your life is empty because you stop the bomb from becoming. And for what? For who? People like her? You know what a bomb is, Jak, that doesn't explode? It is a cheap gold watch."

"You're crazy," Jak grounded out, his eyes filled with hateful fire. "You're fucking crazy!"

Keira rose from her knees, her body trembling and her work done. "Poor people are crazy, Jak." Praxis reached down and hoisted up the bag of money and waved it in the air. "I'm eccentric. Let's go." He ushered Keira to the door from which he had entered.

Jak raised his gun at Praxis and almost fired, but the stick in his hand kept him from firing. He lowered his gun, his face twisting, ready to scream in rage.

Praxis looked over at Jak, almost fondly. Then he pushed Keira through the door, who gave a small scream, and slammed it shout behind him.

Jak rushed to the door, twisting the knob. When it didn't budge he rammed his shoulder against it… hard. It still wouldn't budge. Jak raised his gun and fired at the knob, blasting it apart. He kicked the door open and light flooded in. Jak stepped through door and found himself in the subway.

He was on the upper level and there weren't many people around. Someone rushed past him from downstairs, looking extremely frightened. Jak took the hint and climbed down the steps, two at a time.

"Keira…"

--&--

Praxis pushed Keira in front of him. She move without any sound of protested, knowing he literally held her life in his hands. Around them people were screaming, moving away from them. Praxis had his large Scatter gun out and Keira was wearing bombs. People began to climb out of the subway and Praxis pushed Keira into the first car by her shoulder.

There were only three people sitting there. A man, a woman, and little girl. He pointed the gun at them, smiled, and asked, "Are these seats taken?"

The father pushed at his wife and little girl and they ran from the subway, screaming as loud as they could. The cars were empty as the train doors closed and the train started to move.

--&--

Jak ran down the stairs, yelling for the civilians to move out of his way. He sprinted along the platform as the train started to move. He jumped after it, but only managed to grab the fourth car.

--&--

Praxis pushed Keira against a vertical pole and handcuffed her. He pressed the detonator into her fingers and she trembled. "Now, you don't want to drop this. I'm counting on you."

He moved to the front of the car as the driver came from the control compartment. "What the hell is going on here?" he asked.

Praxis raised his Scatter gun and shot him point blank four times. The driver was sent flying backwards into the control compartment. Two of the shots crashed into the actual control panel, causing sparks to scatter across the board.

Keira screamed and began to struggle with her hold on the deadman's stick. She had almost dropped it at the sounds of the shots and couldn't seem to get a firm hold back on it. She cried hysterically as she reached out for the stick.

--&--

Crouching down as he scurried along the cars, Jak made his way to the first one. He left the compartment doors open as he went, having no time or patient to close them. He reached the door leading to the first compartment just in time to see Praxis blow away the driver.

He was about to rush forward when he saw Keira struggling to gain hold of the stick, but Praxis made his way over to her.

--&--

"Uh-oh!" Praxis said as Keira struggled with the detonator. He rushed forward and took it from her. "I think you better let me hold this after all. I'm afraid you're a little hysterical and might let go a mite early." As she began to tremble again, Praxis tapped her lightly on the shoulder with his knuckles. "Hey, buckaroo, it's not because you're a woman."

Praxis turned and made his way to the back of the car. He almost saw Jak, but he dunked in time. With nowhere else to go, Jak climbed onto the top of the car. Praxis peered into the other cars of the train and saw they were empty.

"Looks like we're alone," he said to Keira, smiling. "I don't think anybody wanted this ride." He made his way back over to her.

As he neared, Keira struggled to keep calm and failed. She had to find a way to save herself and it made her panic. Almost hysterically she said to him, "You can let me go. You won. You beat Jak, you beat everyone. Throw me off the train, I don't car. Only let me go. Please…" Her eyes swam.

Praxis ran his hand through her silky hair like a tiny child would a favourite doll, he spoke to her softly, "This stick works on a remote. See, when you explode, that's where they'll came. But that's not where I'll be. A mess like that… they don't even count body pieces. Gives me more time." He brushed hair tenderly from her face, like Jak had done. "It's not gonna hurt, Keira."

--&--

Jak crawled along the train, trying to be as quiet as he could. Keira's life depended on it. He raised his hand to check his gun when a red conduit pipe ripped it from his fingers and sent it flying over the side.

--&--

Praxis and Keira looked up at the roof of the train as they heard the gun bounce down it. Praxis grinned wildly.

"Is that you, Jak?" he called to the ceiling and then turned his smile to Keira. "He's so persistent. Always gets his man, you know."

Praxis knelt down besides his bag of money and opened it. He looked up at the ceiling again. "Don't suppose you'd be interested in a bride now, would you?" He chuckled to himself. "There's plenty to go around."

As he said it, a dye exploded in the bag. It sprayed across Praxis's face and he looked at the purple dye spreading across the green money, ruining it. The purple ink dripped down from his face like blood.

Praxis screamed and jumped to his feet, drawing his Scatter gun. Still roaring, he fired a round into the ceiling.

"You bastard!" he screamed to the ceiling. "You like that, huh? You like that you piece of shit!?"

--&--

Jak rolled away as the bullets came up all around him. He managed to dodge being hit by all but one. It ripped through his shoulder and he clutched it in pain, forcing himself to stay quiet.

Agony played across his face.

--&--

Praxis fired his Scatter gun again and again and again until he found himself clicking on an empty gun. Even then, it was almost impossible for him to stop. Screaming again, he dropped the gun to the floor.

"I'm gonna get you, Jak!" He screamed, rushing past Keira towards the compartment door. He shouted Jak's name loudly.

Keira lowered herself to her knees, her hair covering her face. Her body shook with sobs.

--&--

There were no more bullets, Praxis must be out. Jak turned back towards the door, knowing he had to get to Keira fast.

Praxis was right there.

Screaming the man slammed his fist into Jak's face. Jak went reeling backwards, sliding against the metal of the train. As Jak looked back up at Praxis, he could see he was practically foaming at the mouth.

He hit Jak with the hand that held the deadman's stick. Jak was helpless. He was wounded and Praxis had the stick… Keira would die unless he got it away from the crazed metal man. He feebly tried to defend himself, not able to fight back.

Praxis was on his knees over Jak. He's started to hit Jak repeatedly on his shoulder wound. Jak nearly blanked out from the pain, but Praxis's voice brought him back to.

"What do you do, Jak? What do you do? You're so smart! Right, Jak?" He pressed the deadman's stick against Jak's cheek, causing blood to run. "You little piece of shit! I got the plan! I'm smarter then you! I'm smarter then you."

Jak's vision was blurry, but he was able to see the flashing red light. He realized that they were tearing through another station.

Jak pulled his leg up and slammed it into Praxis's solar plexus. Praxis flew back, standing straight up on his knees. His eyes widened at Jak.

A red conduit pipe smashed into his face.

Jak watched as something round bounced along the train like a tin can thrown carelessly onto the freeway by some yahoo driver.

Praxis's head.

Praxis's hand loosened on the deadman's stick. Jak lunged and wrapped his own fingers around the trigger, keeping it pressed down. The body of Praxis rolled off the train and onto the tracks. Jak leaned his back against the train and panted, out of energy as well as breath.

Finally, Jak lifted his head and looked at the stop where Praxis—with a head—had once kneeled. "Yeah, well I'm taller," he gritted out.

--&--

Keira stood and turned her body wearily as she heard the doors slide open. Relief shone bright on her face as she saw not Praxis but Jak, clutching the deadman's stick. She smiled at him, weakly, and said his name softly.

As Jak walked towards her, breathing hard from his fight with Praxis but still looking powerful, she asked in a soft voice, "Praxis?"

Jak didn't reply. Instead, for an answer, he rose the deadman's stick, almost smiling at her. Keira felt another wave of relief wash over her.

"I ripped his head off," Jak drawled and then said to her, "Let's get this off, shall we?" Keira nodded her head enthusiastically. He eyed the C-4 for a moment before pulling a wire from the bombs. He released the deadman's stick and smiled at her widely. He threw both deadly things to the ground and walked over to the control compartment, going to slow the train.

Jak felt himself go stiff as he saw the sparks coming from the equipment. It was shot to shit. He saw the brake controls and flipped the switch. Nothing happened. He grabbed the speed volume level and tried to pull it back, but it wouldn't budge. It was jammed. He reached for the radio mike and tried it, but it was dead.

"Nothing works in this fucking town!" Jak thundered, slamming his fists into the control panel. It looked like they would be jumping. He turned around and raced back into the passenger car saying, "Keira, you're not gonna believe this but we gotta…" he trailed off, his eyes drawn to her wrists.

"You can't stop it?" Keira asked worriedly, flexing her wrists.

Her cuffed wrists.

Jak's mouth fell open as he approached her slowly, horror in his every step. Keira gave him a weak smile and said softly, "We'll… um… unlock me and I'd love to go with you…" She too trailed off as she saw the look in Jak's eyes.

"I—I don't have the key…"

"Wha—what!?"

"I don't have th—the key, Keira…" Jak whispered softly, grasping the chain link that held the two cuffs together. Keira looked at him in horror, saw the hopelessness in his face, and began to pull her wrists against the cuffs, straining them.

Jak backed up and kicked the pole she was locked to, kicked it again and again and again and again, but it wouldn't budge. Seeing that option as useless, he grabbed Keira's wrists and tried to pull them out of the cuffs. Her body was covered with sweat that his hands slid up her wrists to her arms.

He yanked her so hard that her wrists began to bleed and Keira jumped away in pain. "NooOOOOW!" Tears she had been bravely holding back came down her face in a waterfall. Jak's own face twisted as he battled tears. It was hopeless. He reached out to touch her shoulder but she was jerking around to much for him to get a grip.

Keira pushed away his hands, stopping her flow of tears, and said in a shaky voice, "Jak, you have to get off!"

No way. Jak sent her a look that said she was talking crazy. He turned his head as she continued to protested and saw the map on the wall. He could see the large curve of the road, leading to a dead end.

"Jak, listen to me," Keira tried to reason with him, more tears coming down her face. "The end of the line is solid rock. You have to jump. Goddamnit, I'm ordering you! Go!"

Jak didn't even bother to acknowledge her. Finally, after a long moment off thinking, he turned back to her and whispered, "Faster."

"Jak…" Keira sighed.

He walked over to the control compartment, stepping over the dead driver, saying to her, "The only way to stop this thing is to make it go faster. There's a curve up ahead. We go fast enough we might jump the track, hit something besides a dead end."

"Jak, this is bullshit!" Keira shouted at him. "You have to get off the train, Jak! Jak!" When he didn't answer her, she fell silent.

He pushed the level up to top speed and watched as the speedometer picked up speed. He turned back to Keira and walked over to her.

Keira slid boneless to the floor, not even crying now. Jak wanted to whip the look of defeat from her face, but he didn't know how. He was sure it was mirrored on his own. He stood there for a moment, looking down at her. Nothing mattered more, suddenly, then making sure she lived. Not getting the bad guys, not saving the hostages, just her. Just Keira…

She didn't look up at him as he gripped the pole and slid down next to her. How she wished he had gotten off the train. Knowing he was still alive would have made her death so much easier. Suddenly, she wanted to do nothing more then hold him. She looped her cuffs around his neck and brought him closer, fighting more tears. He wrapped his arms around her waist as well and held her close. She pressed her head into his shoulder as she felt the train pick up speed.

_Please don't let him die,_ she thought.

--&--

The highland station, which the train road down, was still under construction. At the end of the station was the dead end leading into a rock-face.

--&--

Keira pressed herself more fully against Jak and he braced them both for the impact. "Come on… let's go…" she heard Jak whisper besides her ear.

--&--

The train barreled through the station, going way too fast but it still held firmly to the train tracks beneath it.

--&--

Jak and Keira were jarred by the rough ride. The lights around them flickered on and off. Smoke from the overheated engines rose into the car.

--&--

The crew workers fled as they heard the train racing down the tracks. It rushed passed them and continued on at a break-neck speed.

The train hit the curve hard. The wheels sparked on the rail, screeched. It bounced and jarred as it barreled on.

--&--

Jak and Keira clung to one another, their eyes squeezed tight as the ride became rougher, faster, more powerful…

--&--

The train jumped the track like Jak had hoped. The wheels came off the rail. The trailing subway cars twisted off and stayed on the main road, cashing into the rock-face.

The train with Jak and Keira on it skidded sideways up on the ramp. Steel sheared the car in half. The front half continued to skid and roll up the ramp.

On Hollywood Boulevard, just outside the Race Stadium, the train appeared. Like a breaching whale it flew into the air then skidded across the ground, crashing and finally rested on its side in front of the Chinese Theater, to the amazement of dazzled onlookers. Jak and Keira were visible from the now opened back car.

Jak and Keira sat up, amazed to see they were both fine. The pole that had held Keira captive had been wrenched free from the ceiling. Jak pulled Keira's hands free, laughing, and brought her into his arms. They fell down again, Keira on top and Jak beneath.

They kissed, desperately alive. Lips hastily merged in rapture at being alive. Keira's hands locked in Jak's hair and he clasped her waist to him. She moaned and he groaned. They were both a little dirty, a little sweaty, but it hardly mattered to them as they kissed. She tasted like the salt from her tears and fruit. He tasted like the coffee he had sipped hours earlier and… bagels?

Finally, they broke and Keira—still situated on top of Jak—cupped his face in her soft hands and said, "You didn't leave me." She looked him in the eyes in disbelief, shocked he had really stayed. "You didn't leave." She pressed herself back into his arms. "My God…"

"I didn't have anywhere to be just then." Jak explained, his hands coming up and pressing against her back.

Keira raised her head just slightly and smiled down into his eyes. "How boring?" she asked.

Jak blinked at her, "What?"

"How boring are you?" Keira elaborated, biting her tongue playfully at him. "I mean, is it… is it really scary, Jak?"

Deciding to play along, Jak thought for a moment. "Well… I watch bowling on TV…"

"Okay." She nodded, as if taking it into serious consideration.

"And sometimes…" Jak added slowly, as if not wanting to tell her. "When I watch bowling… I get excited and I… cheer."

"Ooh." Keira scrunched her face, absolutely adorable. "Well…"

"Keira," Jak spoke slowly, seriously now. "It's over. You can walk away." He said it like it hurt… maybe it did.

She gave him the look he had given her on the train when she had told him to jump. No way. She reached down and quickly, gently, clicked one of the cuffs onto his wrist and the other onto her own. Joining them.

Jak grinned at her as she sat up. He got them message. Playfully he pointed out to her, "I have to warn you, I was once told that relationships based on extreme circumstances never last…"

Keira grinned as well and bent back down, looking him straight in the eyes. She bit her lips lightly, considering, and said, "We'll have to base it on sex then…"

Jak laughed and used his free hand to cup her hair. "Whatever you say, ma'am," he told her and brought her lips back down to his. As they kissed passionately the shards of glass still clinging to the windowpane of the train broke and showered down on them, but they didn't notice.

The tourists were walking over to the destroyed train now. Somewhere in shellshock, others had dug out cameras, and the rest were just wondering what in the name of hell was going on.

But they all smiled at the kissing pair within in the train.

(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)(&(&)(&)(&)(&)(&)

A/N: Well, I'm all done! Yay! Now, wasn't that just a tad fun? Go on, admit it! You enjoyed reading the blasted thing. _Speed_ was a movie made for the fun of it, not to prove a point or send a message. It was made simply because people like fast-paced action, language, and romance. This movie had all that and more. And as a true blue American I loved it!

Alright, now onto the serious stuff. Below are the responses to the reviews (such a low turnout last chapter…) and below that is something special! A preview to the sequel to Jak III! That's right, Jak IV have finally arrived! I told I would get around to writing it, didn't I?

Reviews:

**Hellmouth2:** hides in corner Sorry, sorry, sorry! I wasn't too sure how I was going to handle _that_ scene until after I had written it. I love Daxter to death, but it seems he's always getting the short end of the stick in my stories… hmm, why is that?

**Glorfindel Silverleaf: **Yes, I was kinda upset when Dax died. It reminded me of my sadness when that characters from _Speed_ died… but alas, I made a vow to stay truthful to the script and I made myself kill Daxter! sobs

**Maieve Avvi:** No worries, luv, you didn't miss anything. _Jak IV_ has not been posted as of yet, but trust me when I say it is in the works!

**_Jak IV: Penalties of War_**

Yes, it's in the works. In fact, I have about fourteen pages of it written. Looking at it, and my plans for it, it's gonna be an epicy kinda story with more then three parts to it. Before I post it I want to have all the plot kinks and holes work out, but expect the first Act to be up before the release of Jak 3 (I have it marked on my calendar with big pink hearts!) After that, well the updates might be slow. After all, I'll be spending most of my time playing Jak 3 or doing my homework. But take heed! It will arrive and in the next two weeks look out for it!

_Jak IV: Penalties of War_ is not going to be a pretty story like my Jak III. No, it's gonna be heavy on the angst. While there will be romance (Lizzy doesn't write a story without romance) it will fall sort compared to the angst I'll be loading into it. I dun wanna give away any of the plot yet, but trust me, I think you'll be pleased. We're even going into Crea and Nyx's past, just like some of you wanted. I promise, I'm giving something to everyone and then some to myself!

_It's over. You've seen the end._

_That's it. Everything's been said._

_Go outside._

-Lizzy Rebel


End file.
